"This government is not going to tolerate that there are companies that take advantage of the crisis to enrich themselves", assured the socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, detailing to the Chamber of Deputies a series of measures intended to support the power of purchase by the Spaniards, hurt by soaring prices.
Spain will thus "implement a tax on the extraordinary profits of large energy companies", which will allow the State to recover nearly "two billion euros" per year in 2023 and 2024, specified the head of the government.
The introduction of this exceptional tax, intended to relieve the Spanish public finances, undermined by the economic crisis, was mentioned at the end of June by the Prime Minister.
But the latter had not then specified the amount or the duration of the tax measure.
In addition, Pedro Sanchez announced a temporary tax on “large financial institutions that have started to benefit from the rise in interest rates”.
This tax which will concern banks "will last two years and will raise 1.5 billion per year", he added.
Several European countries have in recent months announced windfall levies on corporate profits to take advantage of inflation - in particular energy groups, which posted very high profits last year.
The very liberal United Kingdom has thus introduced a temporary tax of 25% on the profits of the oil giants to finance aid for the most disadvantaged households.
Italy, for its part, has decided to levy an additional 25% on the profits of large companies in the energy sector.
Madrid has adopted several packages of measures since last summer to try to contain inflation, which in June reached 10.2% over one year, its highest level in 37 years.
Among them are aid on fuel, a reduction in VAT on electricity and an increase in retirement pensions.
"Since prices started to rise (...) Spain has mobilized 30 billion euros" to support its businesses and consumers, "equivalent to 2.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP )”, Mr. Sanchez recalled on Tuesday.
© 2022 AFP