The criticism of the president of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, in the Parliament against the prime minister and the government regarding the bill on the taxation of freelancers was severe. Mr. Androulakis spoke about the government’s communication wrapping and stated that the presence and speech of Mr. Mitsotakis was unnecessary because what he said he had said before the elections, while he characterized the bill as anachronistic and ineffective. “This is a bill that does not deal with tax evasion, tax evasion and tax evasion, but has a collection nature,” he noted.

He also reminded that when PASOK made the relevant pre-election remarks by submitting its own proposals, it received an asymmetric war that it would allegedly tax small and medium businesses, freelancers and farmers. “You turn a blind eye to tax evasion and tax evasion and make jokes”, he emphasized and added: “You make a hole in the water and activate social automation by pitting professionals against the salaried and retired and call them tax evaders”.

“The government is bringing a draft law through fast track procedures. So suddenly, in fact, that he did not even consult the Economic and Social Committee. So, if you wanted to plan a real tax reform, why didn’t you open an organized national dialogue with all social partners, institutions and political forces, so that we can sit at the table and submit our proposals and find the best possible solutions”, he underlined and added: “We need a bold tax reform aimed at reducing unfair indirect taxes and fairer distribution of direct taxes. The ratio of indirect and direct taxes between 2012-2021 went from 1.28 to 1.83. Most of the direct taxes are paid by employees and pensioners, which you burden them with even more.”

Mr. Androulakis said that a responsible opposition corrects the weaknesses of the government, as was done with the PASOK-KINAL proposal for professionals in towns and islands. At the same time, he argued that it creates a fait accompli for professionals as they will be taxed for the incomes of the current year, 2023.

As he said, this is a bill with certain tax arrangements that constitute a confession of the government’s colossal failure for five years to identify and tax the “underground economy”. “It chooses to return to outdated and leveling measures of presumptions, which belong to past decades”, he noted while claiming that “imposes horizontal taxation for non-existent income (minimum wage x 14) and equates businesses with the average rate of each industry throughout the Greece regardless of where the business is located. The presumption occupies equally: A traditional coffee shop in the countryside and a large coffee shop in Kolonaki”.

“With your horizontal and unfair measures, you are effectively punishing freelancers who have moved their professional headquarters to their home, young scientists after 5 years of activity, new mothers who work occasionally, giving weight to raising their children, those are pursuing graduate studies or have other sources of income without working and maintain status to have social security and health care,” he noted.

The president of PASOK-KINAL made an extensive reference to the lack of will and measures against major fuel tax evasion, calling on the government to re-implement the input-output system throughout the supply chain, from the top to the gas stations, which PASOK had established in 2009.

“Why in the fifth year of your term are you not able to create a digitally advanced model of targeted controls?”, he observed and testified to the positions of the PASOK-Movement for Change for a fairer and more efficient taxation system.

As he emphasized, “tax evasion constitutes a great social injustice that leads to an increase in inequalities and the loss of significant revenues for the State that could be directed to public health, education and the country’s infrastructure. We need to incentivize consumers so that there is a vested interest in seeking the proof. They propose a compensation mechanism both at the individual level with individual incentives to taxpayers for the electronic payments they make and at the collective level with provisions for investments in the welfare state when the objectives of increasing the taxable material from the use of their electronic means of payment are achieved.

Mr. Androulakis accused the government of scandalous tax exemptions in favor of the haves and haves with the most characteristic: The reduction of the tax on the distributed profits of shareholders from 10% to 5% (the second lowest rate in the EU now). Raising the tax-free limit on parental benefits to 800,000 euros per parent or grandparent for each child.

“How does the possibility of tax-free transfer of property that can reach 4.8 million euros concern the middle class? Do you have any idea who the middle class of the country is?”, he asked.

“We reject the core of the bill which deals with horizontal taxation based on the presumption of the self-employed while ensuring a reduction in capital taxation through a reduction in the capital accumulation tax rate and a reduction in the sales tax rate on listed shares. We will pass provisions with positive intent, such as those that promote electronic transactions and those that put rules and limits on the rampant growth of Airbnb-style short-term rentals. We oppose a truly brave and substantial tax reform that will contribute to our strategic goal, which is to build a sustainable, resilient and fair production model that will ensure many and well-paid jobs”, concluded the president of PASOK-Movement for Change.