Government back down on election promises over cutting income tax

Law and Justice (PiS) promised to get rid of the recent 40%, 30% and 19% tax levels and proposed 32% and 18% instead. During a press conference devoted to taxes held on Saturday, Finance Minister Zyta Gilowska said, "I do not know when the 32% and 18% levels will be introduced. This is a political decision. The public finance system simply lacks the money to do that." Reducing the tax rates would mean that the budget would receive zł.10 billion less than projected. Other parties, however, are outraged with PiS breaking its election promises. Head of Civic Platform (PO) Jan Rokita announced recently that, instead of PiS, his party would make the changes to the tax law. The Polish Families' League (LPR) and Self-Defense (SO) who signed the stabilizing pact with PiS claim that the pact did not encompass any tax issues and they will be discussed later on. "By making such propositions PO wants us to quarrel. We all know all they are after is lowering taxes for the rich," said Janusz Maksymiuk from Self-Defense. (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 4, 25-26) D.W.