The government on the one hand talks about targeted measures, whilst big businessmen will be getting off taxes
Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas
22 February 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
The measures announced by the government are absolutely necessary, but far from sufficient. Not at all sufficient to address the enormous economic pressure that society, households, working people and SME’s are under. These measures cannot cover the fall in the purchasing power of wages, nor the new increases recorded in the price of electricity.
AKEL is asserting more drastic and substantive measures to support society, but AKEL isn’t just calling for more measures. We are simultaneously indicating where resources can be drawn from to finance a comprehensive social package as a real social protective shield to tackle poverty. We must proceed immediately with the taxation of the exorbitant profits registered by the banks and big energy companies that are accumulating record profits on the backs of society and the economy. We call on the government to at long last clarify what its position is.
The Christodoulides Government, however, is moving in the opposite direction. On the one hand, it talks about targeted measures, but on the other, when it comes to getting big businessmen off taxes, it forgets targeting and hence it would be depriving millions of euros from the state’s coffers.
By what logic did it decide to write off the 350 euro fee on big companies, many of which are recording huge profits, instead of listening to AKEL’s proposal for a scaled fee? With our proposal, we are exempting the vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises from the fee and introducing a scaled fee for big businesses. By doing so, the state’s coffers would spare EUR 20 million.
The Christodoulides Government will not be able to take the measures that society needs as long as it follows the same policies of its predecessors and refuses to confront the powerful economic interests.
22.02.2024
