This PCP bill had already been presented, along the same general lines, in the last legislative session - but before the entry into force of “Zero VAT” - and was generally rejected in January of this year with votes against by the PS, PSD, Chega and IL, and favourable votes from PCP, BE, PAN and Livre.

In the explanatory memorandum of this diploma, the party considers that “despite the application of the 'Zero VAT' measure, the truth is that many prices [of food products] continued to increase”, accusing large distribution of “opportunistically taking advantage of the impacts of war and sanctions to increase their profit margin.”

“At a time when workers and the people continue to lose purchasing power, these colossal profits, at the same time that prices continue to increase, clearly demonstrate the need to intervene to defend the public interest, particularly in access to essential goods”.

In this context, the PCP proposes “the creation of a maximum price regime, to be applied to an essential food basket, which defines a reference price for each of the products, based on real costs and a non-speculative margin, prohibiting the sale at a higher price without reasonable justification”.