Chega leader André Ventura on Friday described the IRS reduction measures announced by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro as a "fiscal patch."

"The Prime Minister announced that we would have a major fiscal shock and major fiscal relief with the package that the Government would approve today. This fiscal shock and fiscal relief is, in fact, a fiscal patch", he began by telling journalists at the Assembly of the Republic.

"Since it is a fiscal patch, it becomes a fiscal disappointment because both the Democratic Alliance (AD) and Chega had the votes they had based on the premise that they would bring a real and effective fiscal shock to the country", he added.

Recalling that, in the case of a salary of one thousand euros, the "fiscal savings will be just over 1.5 euros", André Ventura considered that this is "a savings that is not significant", representing a difference of about three euros per taxpayer compared to what was presented by the previous socialist government.

"We are giving the Socialist Party (PS) the argument that, in fact, there was no change between the alternative differences and what the PS was already doing", he said.

In this sense, André Ventura stated that "Chega is not in a good position to vote in favor of this proposal", which he considered to be "a lie". However, he pointed out that the party "also does not want to side with those who will prevent the entry into force of a diploma that will lower taxes".

Thus, Chega will announce its own counterproposal for "fiscal relief that approaches real relief in the various IRS brackets".

André Ventura reiterated that the party will present, next week, its own proposal, which he estimated at "effective fiscal relief between 750 million and one billion euros", and appealed to the PS to vote for it, also expressing its willingness to approve initiatives from other parties.

"This is one of those measures that I am not concerned about whether there are positive or negative coalitions, we are talking about the Portuguese having more money in their pockets, I don't care who votes in favor", he said.

Ventura considered that "the most likely" will be for Chega to abstain on the Government's proposal that will be debated next Wednesday, but did not rule out voting in favor.

"Chega will not be the one to prevent the reduction of taxes in Portugal (...) If the PS votes against, there will have to be a favorable vote, it is a scenario that can happen. It is very unlikely that Chega will bear the burden of making this proposal unfeasible", he said.

It should be noted that the Council of Ministers today approved the proposal that reduces IRS rates up to the 8th bracket, announced the Prime Minister, indicating that the measure amounts to a total tax reduction of 1.539 billion euros compared to 2023.

"A bill was approved that will be sent to the Assembly of the Republic today" with a "reduction in IRS rates up to the 8th income bracket", said Luís Montenegro at the end of the Council of Ministers, in Lisbon.

The Prime Minister also stated that this "reduction estimated by the Government has a global value that amounts to a reduction of 1.539 billion euros compared to 2023".

Read Also: IRS reduction? It's €1.25 for a salary of €950 and €46 for a salary of €7,500 (Portuguese version)