French Government decides simultaneously to raise and lower taxes.
Paris 18/09/2003
The French prime minister yesterday announced that the government fully intends to pursue it’s policy of raising and lowering taxes.
"We fully intend to reduce the tax burden on individuals living in France, which is essential if the economy is to move out of recession, we also intend to pursue policies which will head towards reducing the deficit which has unfailingly failed to decrease significantly and which in fact has increased enormously since this government came to power." the prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told BIGfib.
As part of the plan he confirmed that France will be reducing the income tax burden by maintaining the current income tax levels which he explained are already lower, and increasing taxes on cigarettes, wine and fuel which he said are already higher anyway.
Fees required to see doctors or obtain medication will also increase though the prime minister explained that these are not taxes.
Initial calculations indicate that people who don't smoke, drink or eat, and who never see the doctor will be much better off than they were when they did.
"The idea is to spell out a very clear message to the people" Raffarin explained. "and I don’t need to spell out what that message is…"
