He added that this is all the more necessary now that the problem of accuracy is expected to intensify due to the war in Ukraine.
Referring to the government, he said that "it is its incompetence that forces consumers to pay tens of millions of euros in fines for pollutants" and "its ruthlessness that allows cartels and big interests to profiteer in fuel and other goods". He also referred to the government's "ideological dogmatism" that leaves the country unprotected in electricity, grain and fuel.
He added that the government is provocative since it is asking them for proposals when it knows very well that AKEL has tabled proposals that are concrete, feasible, effective and directly applicable.
He referred first and foremost to AKEL's proposal to reduce VAT on electricity, which was passed into law by a large majority in Parliament. However, the government not only failed to implement it, he added, but sent it to the Supreme Court.
"So, gentlemen of the government, proceed with the implementation of the reduction of VAT on electricity. This is also what Europe is proposing, which you often invoke to justify unpopular policies," he said.
In addition, he said, AKEL proposes ending double taxation on fuel, ending the fee for renewable energy sources present in electricity bills, ending VAT on pollutants, using funds from the pollutants fund for targeted subsidies for electricity bills, reducing VAT on basic goods and setting a cap on essential goods.
At the same time, he spoke of the government's "lack of political will" to implement the proposals, adding that it "only warmly embraces the banks and big interests".
To the government's question of "where the money will be found", AKEL replied that it will be found from what the state collects in addition from the increased prices, from the additional amounts put into the fund for pollutants, which the government never said where they go, he said.
"Really, how is it that every time the big interests, the banks want incentives, the state has the ability to offer them and when consumers demand protection, the government declares weakness," Stefanou asked.
He added that it is a matter of priorities, it is a matter of politics and philosophy.
"The government and the National Assembly support the big interests by nature and by design. While we are naturally and positively with the ordinary people, the workers, the people who need the support of the state. We support them. We fight for them in and out of parliament. It is for them that we are here today."
For them, he added, "we will continue to push the government to take measures to address the issue of poverty."
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source[/URL]Cyprus Times[/SIZE]
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