Next June 31 ends the period of validity of the measures aimed at the population to reduce VAT on some basic products in the shopping cart and other subsidies such as the reduction of the electricity and gas tax or the discount on fuel for professional transport. From Anafric, the meat employers’ association, an express request is made to the Government to extend the valid period of the food bonus and “to include lowering the VAT on meat and other essential foods from the current 10% to 4%, with the hope that families really notice that the value of the shopping basket has decreased”.
For José Friguls, president of Anafric, “all the studies in the sector show that the reduction in these two products would help to reduce the CPI by up to 2 points. The studies of some surfaces that have been made public conclude that, lowering the VAT , consumers would earn up to €22 per month to invest in the shopping cart. From Anafric we ask ourselves: if it is so obvious, why don’t they put it into practice?
Anafric continues with the line started at the beginning of the year with a public position in favor of applying a super-reduced VAT on meats of 4%. “We would all benefit: consumers, because with the same money they spend buying food they can buy more and include meat and other essential foods, nutritious and quality foods in their Mediterranean diet; butchers and delicatessens, along with fishmongers, because their quality product would have an outlet and they would not have to think about whether we closed this month or not, and to the Government, because despite lowering VAT, a greater number of consumers purchased these foods, so the collection would not have to lower”.
In this sense, Anafric gives the example of countries such as Portugal, which has initiated a measure called ZERO VAT until October that eliminates the tax title on meat products such as chicken, pork, turkey, beef or fish.
