Posted Sep 27, 2022, 10:40 AMUpdated on Sep 27, 2022 at 7:41 PM
A finance bill for 2023 which “lacks ambition in terms of reducing public spending”, a France which “continues to live beyond its means”. Monday, following the presentation of the finance bill (PLF) for 2023, the Medef severely criticized the first budget of the five-year term.
“The structural deficit, which does not depend on the economic situation, continues to widen without being accompanied, moreover, by a drop in operating expenses”, explains the employers’ organization in a press release. Referring to the opinion of the High Council of Public Finances, also critical of the “slow and uncertain” recovery of public finances, the employers’ organization calls for “an ambitious long-term vision”, a way of underlining that it is lacking today. to the executive today.
On the side of the French Association of Private Enterprises (AFEP), we do not share the analysis of the organization chaired by Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux. “We are not aligned with the position of the Medef on two points: its position on the budget is inappropriate given the constraints and the absence of a tax increase and pensions the Medef is too soft”, explains the association which brings together the 110 largest French companies at the “Echos”.
First target: the abolition of the CVAE
The Minister of the Economy, he responded sharply to criticism of Medef Tuesday morning on France inter. Claiming to hold “the right balance between reducing expenses and protecting our compatriots”, Bruno Le Maire mentioned three subjects.
First target: the abolition over two years of the CVAE, the first stage of which is included in the PLF for 2023: “The Medef finds that we are increasing the debt and that we are increasing the public deficits? I make him an offer. All he has to do is give up the reduction in production taxes. It costs 8 billion euros, we will save money. »
Clean up tax credits
The minister also mentioned the need to clean up “all the tax credits from which businesses benefit” in a fairly precise manner. On this subject, he quoted “the Labaronne commission [un groupe de députés chargé de proposer des pistes de réduction de la dépense publique, NDLR] who has done a very good job of reviewing public spending that we could reduce,” explaining that she pointed to “the tax credits enjoyed by businesses that would reduce deficits and reduce debt.”
“If the Medef wants to reduce the debt, reduce the deficits, let it come with us to work on this subject, […] let him go and identify with us the tax credits that we could reduce, let him show a little bit of consistency, ”said Bruno Le Maire.
Finally, the Minister returned to the position of employers on the pension reform project, on which he also considered it possible to “take a few months, a few weeks of consultation”, distancing himself from the scenario of an amendment to the social security financing bill (PLFSS) . “The Medef absolutely wants us to reduce the deficits and the debt, but in this case, it should stop paying lip service to pension reform and support it with enthusiasm, with determination. It’s 8 to 9 billion euros in savings at the end of the five-year term! »
