António Pedro Santos / Lusa
The Secretary General of the Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, in a rally at the Campino’s house
“Step” to start adulthood will be on the electoral program that will be presented this Saturday by Pedro Nuno Santos. Value can be rescued at 18 years. At current rates, it grows to 768 euros.
The PS proposes in the electoral program that all children born from the beginning of this year receive 500 euros on aforro certificates, a measure that intends to give a “Step and then start adulthood”.
Speaking to the Lusa Agency, Miguel Costa Matos, socialist deputy responsible for the coordination of the Legislative Manifesto 2025, anticipated this measure that will be one of those in the PS’s updated electoral program to May 18 legislatures, a document that is presented this afternoon by PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos.
“The PS government will create the Step Program. It will be for all children, daughters of residents in Portugal, born from January 1, 2025. It will create an account in which it will credit 500 euros in aforro certificates, ”he said, explaining that this measure will have retroactive effects to cover all those born this year.
According to the socialist, it is “an initial investment in the future of these young people” and “it is an initial savings that families will be able to reinforce.”
The accumulated amount can be rescued at 18 and is subject to its own tax regime.
“These 500 euros, if we look at the one that is the interest rate at this time applied to the aforro certificates, will grow from 500 euros to the 768 euros, which can still be reinforced by families,” he said.
“Incentive to birth”
Miguel Costa Matos stated that Portugal has one of the lowest savings rates in the European Union, which has been reducing itself unlike the rest of the European Union.
“And we also have the need to give this birth incentiveto give families the prospect of having better conditions, of supporting their children at the beginning of their active life. It is a help that the state gives that families can create this savings for the future of young people at the beginning of their adulthood, ”he said.
The confidence of the Portuguese in the certificates of aforro since they have “a guaranteed capital and a fixed interest rate” was also highlighted by the socialist. Regarding the accounts made by the PS, Miguel Costa Matos pointed out that the issuance of aforro certificates is a debt operation and does not represent expense, the only expense being the interest to be paid on certificates at the time of the rescue.
Socialists estimate that with 85,000 children born per year, at the end of the legislature there will be certificates issued in the amount of 215 million euros and one Annual expense with interest of 5.1 million euroswhich will have no immediate impact, and consider it to be “perfectly justified.”
“By the sign we are giving the future to this generation that from now on with a footing so that they can start their adult life,” he said.
Program to need “serious update”
Over the course of five days, the PS promoted nine sectoral meetings to which Pedro Nuno Santos invited socialists, former governors, independent and civil society to make their contribution to the update of the electoral program for early elections.
The PS leader argued that, with a “built with very solid bases” and by a “set of highly qualified people”, this needed “a serious update” due to the changes the world has undergone.
Housing, NHS, work, salaries, social security, economy, international relations, defense, territory, environment, climate, democracy, transparency, justice and internal security were some of the topics for which more than 200 personalities, in PS accounts, made contributions.
Pedro Nuno Santos had already launched, last week, the bases of the program, with 5 priorities: Improvement of salaries, housing, defense and foreign policy, environment and climate transition and justice.
