Portugal's Socialist Party Calls for Fuel VAT Cut as Prices Set to Rise

Socialist deputy João Torres warned that fuel prices are expected to increase sharply on Monday and urged the government to reduce the value‑added tax on gasoline and diesel from the current 23 % to 13 %. The PS proposal includes a parliamentary hearing with representatives of fuel retailers and oil companies to discuss their concerns. Torres criticised the incumbent administration for what he described as “enormous insensitivity” to the crisis and for using it to bolster state revenues, noting that Portuguese households paid €36 million more in fuel taxes in the first quarter, double the average fiscal increase. The party also reiterated its call for a zero‑VAT rate on a basic food basket, citing past measures that “proved successful”. The PS is pressing the government, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, to reconsider its fiscal stance amid rising living costs.