"The prime minister said the 1.6bn (1.4bn) relief package had been dictated by one of the biggest challenges facing the Mediterranean nation : a demographic crisis of unprecedented scale. We know that the cost of living is one thing if you don't have a child and another if you have two or three children, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday after announcing the policies. So, as a state we should find a way to reward our citizens who make the choice [of having children]."
"The measures, which range from a 2 percentage point reduction for all tax brackets to a zero rate for low-income families with four children, will be rolled out in 2026, said Mitsotakis. He called the package the boldest tax reform enforced in Greece in more than 50 years. The policies build on other initiatives by the centre-right government to tackle the issue."
"The Greek population is on course to fall from the current 10.2 million to well under 8 million by 2050, when 36% will be above the age of 65, according to Eurostat. Acknowledging the decline had assumed existential proportions, finance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said fertility rates had halved since the start of the country's economic crisis 15 years ago. Our taxation reform will give great emphasis to this problem as head of the economic team, I'd say our top priority is the demographic issue,"
A 1.6bn relief package includes tax breaks and financial incentives aimed at reversing a population decline and very low fertility. Measures include a two percentage point reduction across all tax brackets and a zero tax rate for low-income families with four children, scheduled for rollout in 2026. Fertility in Greece stands at 1.4 children per woman, well below the 2.1 replacement level, and projections show the population falling from 10.2 million to under 8 million by 2050 with 36% over 65. The decline is linked to a near-decade economic crisis and austerity measures that hit younger people hardest.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]