Portugal enacts exceptional social measures against inflation

LISBON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Monday enacted a package of measures to assist families in mitigating the effects of inflation.

According to a statement from the Portuguese Council of Ministers, the decree-law establishes measures to support families for the "extraordinary 125 euro payment (125 U.S. dollars) to each citizen," in addition to several other social benefits.

The decree-law also establishes "the freezing of prices for public transport passes" throughout 2023.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that the social support measures represent a relief of 2.4 billion euros (2.4 billion dollars) for Portuguese residents.

These measures were well planned by "taking into account the capacity of the state," and it is "the result of the evolution of the economy and, above all, of employment throughout this year," Costa said.

In this bill, the "reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity supply from the current 13 percent to 6 percent by December 2023" was also proposed.