The president of Chega, André Ventura, challenged the Secretary-General of PS, José Luís Carneiro, to approve in the Assembly of the Republic the reduction of VAT on fuels from the current 23% to the intermediate rate of 13%. The challenge was made in Cascais, on September 11, after Chega had presented a bill to this effect, which will be debated in Parliament on September 24, together with a proposal for zero VAT on essential food goods.
The bill determines that road fuels, namely petrol and diesel, be taxed at the intermediate VAT rate of 13% for a period of 12 months, renewable. To avoid the constitutional blocking rule, which prohibits initiatives that increase expenses or decrease revenues in the current financial year, the bill only enters into force after the approval of next year's State Budget.
Ventura considered this a "historic opportunity" to resolve the fuel issue directly in Parliament and accused PS of having to decide whether to keep their word or once again "give a hand to the Government". The leader of Chega defended that the reduction of VAT aligns with what PS has been advocating.
Chega will also bring to debate on September 24 a resolution project that recommends to the Government the abolition of tolls on the 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges. Ventura also criticized the government of Luís Montenegro, agreeing with Pedro Passos Coelho that the Executive is running out of time to make structural reforms, and considered that where the cost of living is most felt is in the price of fuels and housing.
