Social security? Theme cannot be postponed by “electoral tactics”

O president of the Confederation of Tourism of Portugal (CTP), Francisco Calheiros, and the President of the Business Confederation of Portugal (CIP), Armindo Monteiro, were today the speakers of a conference on economics in the 22nd edition of the Summer University of the PSD, an initiative for the political formation of young people.

Armindo Monteiro lamented that, as in the discussion on labour reform, many chose to attack the study commissioned by the Government on Social Security which, in his view, only presents facts.

“It’s good that we don’t waste time with fallacies, with conquests of votes, with settlement of electoral clients, but with speaking the truth. Demography, math don't fool. This is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of science ", warned.

For the president of CIP, this reflection “is possible to do today, now and already”, stressing that some years ago there were 20 workers to pay a pension and today there are only two.

“ This is more important than qualifying Portugal for the next football championship. This is a matter that should be on the agenda, every day, and not be placed on the table or withdrawn according to electoral tactics and strategies ", appealed.

The Government has already ensured that it does not intend to make any structural reform on Social Security until the end of the parliamentary term, and has considered the matter closed until the next election campaign.

In this regard, as in the Labour Code, Armindo Monteiro said he was not appealing to “a guerrilla between generations”, but he defended “a pact, a compromise” to make these reforms by looking at the interests of both the older and the younger.

The president of CIP also criticized those who said that “it’s okay” in the current social security system, questioning the young participants at the Summer University who will pay their pensions if everything remains as it is.

“ Either we have the courage to solve the problem by pact, by agreement, by compromise, or it is the problems that will bring us down”, he warned, questioning why Portugal is “the only European country that does not have the second pillar of contribution” individual.

In his initial speech, the President of CIP had already called for political decision-makers not to be governed by “the fears and hesitations of their electorates”.

“Don’t say that reforms, such as the Labour Code, such as the pension system, like so many policies that are absolutely necessary to be implemented, don’t say it’s a matter of trampling. Tell the truth, lies cannot be an axis of governance”, he called.

In the same vein, the president of the Confederation of Tourism argued that “it is time to move structurally” in the pension system.

“ It is time to make more structural reforms, so that in 40 years' time, when you retire, the difference of the last salary and the reform is as small as possible”, said Calheiros, addressing the young participants of the Summer University of the PSD.