The general secretary of the PCP said today that “there is money and it is not little” for health, recalling that this sector will have “55% of the State Budget” for 2023, but that it will go “to the economic groups in the business of the illness”. “There is no money? There is and it is not little. If 55% of the State Budget is allocated to Health, which is already directed to economic groups in the disease business, how is it that there is no money?” questioned Paulo Raimundo, when speaking in Braga, at the end of the year, dinner, in front of some three hundred supporters.
The general secretary of the communists affirmed that “it is not worth shedding crocodile tears”, stressing that “what is needed and urgent is the recognition of health professionals”.
“With rights, career, training, recognition and respect. It also creates the material conditions for his exclusive dedication to the public cause of the National Health Service. That is where we have to go, guarantee a family doctor to more than a million people who still do not have one, stop the bleeding of human and technical resources from the National Health Service to private health”, defended Paulo Raimundo.
The communist leader stressed that in health “every day there are problems, new attacks and justifications for new blows”, giving an example of what is happening in the district of Braga in this sector.
“Here [distrito de Braga] We are faced with the threat of closure of the Famalicão maternity ward, with the need for new facilities for the Barcelos Hospital, the closure of health centers, such as Belinho, in Esposende, or the urgent reinforcement of resources and expansion from the facilities of the Hospital de Braga”, described Paulo Raimundo.
Another of the points addressed by the communist leader in his speech was “the fact” that the Portuguese increase their salaries and benefits. “And what to do before the fact: us paying and the profits increasing. 18.4% inflation in food products, add the increasing profit margins and you see the final result, the price of the food basket with an extraordinary rise and profits from distribution as it has not been seen for a long time; we could extend the statement to electricity, gas, housing, etc.”, highlighted the general secretary of the PCP.
In this sense, Paulo Raimundo defended “moving towards price control of food products, for 6% VAT on electricity, gas and all food and 13% VAT on telecommunications”. “Is it fair or not that the increase in the cost of living does not weigh so much on those who have less and live from work? It’s not just fair, it’s urgent,” said the communist leader.
Paulo Raimundo also defended the application of a 35% rate to companies in various sectors.
“And us working, being pushed into poverty and a handful filling us up like there was no tomorrow. It’s fair? For each of us the sacrifices, while a few buckle up and take advantage of everything. And tax the profits of economic groups, in energy, distribution, but also in banking and insurance, with a rate of 35%? That was very valuable, that really made it possible to combat the flagrant inequality that we are experiencing”, defended the general secretary of the PCP.
The communist leader also stated that “there are more than two million people in poverty, of which 388,000 are children and 700,000 work every day and still cannot get out of this situation.”
“What is this? Is this a modern and advanced society? Is it that two million correspond to more than 20% of society, 388 thousand children are one in four, 700 thousand workers are about 18% of all workers, is this the present and the future that you have to offer us? Increase wages, pensions, pensions and social support. Set the minimum wage at 850 euros, increase pensions by 8% to a minimum of 50 euros, end with injustices and inequalities, they are options for the future”, emphasized Raimundo.
Source: Observadora
