The Spanish organization Círculo de Empresarios published this week a Open letter to future Legislators and Governors, a document in which it states that “the voluntary delay of the retirement age accompanied by a system of incentives is essential”. And he comes up with a controversial and incendiary proposal: raise the retirement age to somewhere between 68 and 72.
“If you retire earlier, there would be a slight reduction in your pension and if you retire later, an incentive,” explains the president of said business chamber, Manuel Pérez-Sala.
Currently in Spain, the retirement age is at 66 years and 4 monthsand the objective is that in 2027if you have not worked for at least 38 and a half years, the legal age is established in 67 years. The increase, therefore, is very remarkable and controversial.
“The recent reform of the pension system does not ensure its viability, it only delays the problem, it is profoundly unsupportive and will require a great sacrifice from active citizens,” says the letter and speaks from the concept of the so-called Austrian backpack.
«I would receive periodic contributions from the current contribution received by Social Security for unemployment. The amount of that account could be used by the worker for unemployment, training or as a complement to his future pension. To this should be added a thorough review of active employment policies », he explains about that backpack.
Spanish businessmen also ask to eliminate taxes
“Taxes must be taxes adjusted to the collection capacity. Taxes that promote the generation of employment, taxes that do not defend the ideology of some political parties”, argued Pérez-Sala. In this sense, Pérez-Sala has expressed strong criticism of the fiscal policy implemented by the Sánchez government, especially with regard to the “waste” of public funds that has been incurred.
The text also emphasizes the need to eliminate taxes on banks and electricity companies, as well as on large fortunes. Regarding the first two, the Círculo argues that these costs will ultimately fall on the users, while in the case of the tax on the rich, it considers it as an “ideological” tax that could cause “relocations”.
