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The communists will abstain from voting in the generality of the State Budgets for 2021, on October 28, since, they consider, “the OE proposal for 2021 presented by the Government does not respond to the problems and needs of the country “. The announcement was made this Friday by the parliamentary leader João Oliveira and the communists justify the decision with some of the points that the Government did not correspond.
“The commitments assumed are far from guaranteeing that the Budget can be the answer that the country needs,” they say, adding that “it is necessary to go further in the set of measures to be considered.” “The Government needs to implement the measures approved in 2020, particularly in terms of hiring workers, strengthening public services, supporting the unemployed, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and managing partners,” exemplify the communists who take up, in the announcement of the vote, what the Government must do to obtain the favorable vote of the PCP after the general discussion of the document.
“In addition to the commitments already accepted, it is necessary to assume the implementation of other measures so that this response is assured. The PCP’s decision to abstain from voting in most of the State Budgets is assumed with the perspective that this broader debate can still take place, even noting the systematic refusal of the Government and the PS to advance in this direction, “say the communists who tell the Government that” it is not enough to invoke the gravity of the situation as the Government does. ” “It is necessary to relate words to actions”, they point out.
Asked if threats of political crisis pressure the Portuguese Communist Party to opt for general abstention, João Oliveira rejected the idea: “We do not allow ourselves to be pressured by threats of political crisis. The country would not tolerate the discussion of the State Budgets based on this blackmail ”.
Having announced the decision five days before the vote in the hemicycle, still with time to meet with the Government, João Oliveira says that the PCP did not see that the Government had “more room” for discussion that “could contradict the perspective” of the Communists , “In relation to the State Budget proposal.”
“We decide according to the conditions that allow us to make the decision at all times. After having discussed with the Government, after presenting the proposal, having the conditions to evaluate it and having discussed with the Government our assessment of the lack of responses to the country that has the State Budget and the lines of response to global problems. of the country, depending on the government’s response, we consider that we had the capacity to make a decision, ”said João Oliveira.
Even so, from the meetings with the Government there are already advances that the communists point out. The increase in pensions, by 10 euros, will be carried out in January, and not in August, according to the State Budget proposal presented to the previous Assembly. And in the extraordinary social benefit there are also some changes: “expansion of the number of beneficiaries (with the inclusion of more people), the consideration of household income for the condition of the resources, changes in the guarantee conditions”, João Oliveira listed .
But if the Government wants a positive vote from the PCP after the discussion on the specialty, it must reinforce “public investment” and provide “guarantees of its execution.” “You need to hire thousands of workers for public services” for the NHS and schools, for example; the “remuneration supplement cannot exclude thousands of professionals from the health, security forces and services, firefighters, social facilities, urban cleaning and hygiene, garbage collection, water and sanitation and other sectors” Note the communists in in relation to subsidies for health, pain and risk (the Government source has already acknowledged to the Observer that some changes will be made).
The PCP also wants the Government to fulfill “the commitments assumed” in relation to the personal income tax tranches, “easing the taxation of low and intermediate incomes and at the same time putting an end to the flight abroad of economic groups that must pay taxes in Portugal . the profits generated in the country ”. In a banner they will not abandon, the communists continue to demand the revocation of the privatization of CTT, ANA airports and “support for TAP”.
