Ucha: “Support companies in real difficulty”

The president of Euronext Lisbon Isabel Ucha has argued that the government should focus on supporting people and companies that are actually in “genuine difficulty”.

The lady who heads the Lisbon stock market told the newspaper Negócios and Antena 1 radio that this would have been “more effective than the emergency measures provided”.
Asked whether she thought that companies, such as energy companies, enjoying unexpected windfalls because of the energy crisis, should pay a windfall tax, Isabel Ucha said she didn’t know “to what extent this measure would really help in any concrete way”.
Isabel Ucha said that the measures should focus on people and companies in difficulties, also stressing the need to “focus grants for companies on more structural measures” such as (helping) them in “energy transition towards renewable and low-carbon energy, as well as digital transition and other measured focused on making Portugal’s companies and economy more competitive”.
The Euronext president also levelled criticisms at the tax system arguing “Portugal has a high tax burden that should be incrementally reduced through constant structural measures”.
As to the State Budget 2023, Isabel Ucha suggests that investors should not be penalised (through heavy taxation), but rather the government should introduce temporary tax sweeteners for investors in the capital and savings markets.