Health expert warns Covid-19 figures don’t represent reality // What’s in store for the 2023 national budget
Portuguese news in English on Saturday, October 8, 2022.
By the numbers
Health expert warns Covid-19 figures don’t represent reality
Some experts are concerned that dropping requirements for people likely infected with Covid-19 to take a test leaves the country unable to properly track what’s happening with the coronavirus, Diário de Notícias reports. Professor Carlos Antunes, from the University of Lisbon Science Faculty, said people were still getting infected but health authorities could no longer properly trace them. That made it hard to properly understand the real situation and make projections. He said the situation in Germany, Austria and some other central European countries was concerning, as another wave of infections began to build across the continent and some governments reintroduced restrictions. In Portugal, infections fell 70% in a week, which Antunes says isn’t normal and leaves experts relying only on hospitalisations and deaths to track the pandemic.
What’s in store for the 2023 national budget
The government is predicting a drop in public debt to 110.8% of GDP at the end of next year, a figure not seen since before the troika bailout of 2011, Público reports. The calculation is contained in the national budget presented to parliamentary parties yesterday by the government. It’s a “strong reduction” from the 125% figure at the end of last year, with a deficit predicted to drop from 1.9% this year to 0.9% at the end of 2023. Inflation is expected to drop from 7.4% at the end of 2022 to 4% at the end of next year. Prime Minister António Costa warned GDP growth was expected to slow significantly from 6.5% this year to 1.3% next year but hosed down suggestions of a recession. Despite these assurances, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa remained concerned about the country’s economic outlook, Público reports.
Political parties vie for tax changes
There are a series of tax changes proposed by the government for next year’s budget and even more requested by the main opposition party. Firstly, the government wants to update the tax brackets based on a salary increase of 5.1%, to avoid pay rises forcing workers to pay a higher percentage of tax, Lusa reports. The government also wants to reduce the tax paid by those earning between €760 (the new minimum wage) and €1000 as well as allowing them to keep more of their money in their pocket throughout the year rather than waiting for a reimbursement, Diário de Notícias. The main opposition Social Democratic Party wants to reduce tax paid by those earning up to €36,757 (costing about €400 million), increase social benefits such as unemployment in line with inflation of 7.4% and introduce a maximum tax rate of 15% for people under 35 earning up to that same amount, Diário de Notícias reports.
In brief
Europe hails united stand over Russia's war in Ukraine. Leaders emerged from the first meeting of the European Political Community — which includes leaders from the EU, the UK and some in the Balkans and eastern Europe — pledging support for Ukraine. (Euronews, in English
More National Health System hospitals exceed maximum waiting time for mental health consultations. Waiting times increased most among infant and adolescent psychologists, 136 of which are registered nationwide but just three in the Algarve and Alentejo. (Público).
Another priest removed from duties over allegations of child sexual abuse. The allegations involving the priest of the parish of Massamá, in Sintra, have been passed to public prosecutors.
New controversy for Infrastructure Minister. The minister pointed to a political opinion issued in 2019 to defend himself over a €20,000 contract with the state awarded to a company of which he owns 1% and his father owns 44%.
On a lighter note
Two dozen chefs from all over the country are coming together later this month for a 12-day celebration of Portuguese food. There’ll be a host of Michelin-starred chefs as well as stands from more than 40 municipalities when the Festival Nacional de Gastronomia kicks off in Santarém on October 31, Público reports. Henrique Sá Pessoa, Diogo Rocha, João Oliveira, Rodrigo Castelo and Pedro Lemos are some of the big names set to feature.