Social Democrats promise to increase tax-free income based on number of children

The Social Democratic Party of Lithuania promised to increase the tax-free income of workers and create an additional €200 per child credit for all workers as they launched their election platform for the upcoming elections.

Tax-free income would be increased to €310 for lower paid workers and an additional €200 would be added per child regardless of family income under the proposals that would come into effect next year.

“The Social Democratic Party‘s objectives for the coming year are creation of a strong middle class and further reduction of social division based on income, improving the financial situation of families, increasing the birth rate and security of the country,” said the Vice-Chancellor of the government Rimantas Vaitkus.

Vaitkus said that the Social Democrats will continue to raise tax-free income levels for families with children, and will provide tax assistance to persons who receive less than the average income.

The proposals include a range of new economic and social policies and a new vision of the education system.

The Social democrats envisage that under their policies the national average salary, before taxes, will hit €1,100 by 2020 and minimum wage reach €550.

Vaitkus said that a new local government financing system would attract investment into the regions, increasing employment there by a fifth, and unemployment across the country will fall to 6% .

The Social democrats argued that an active alcohol and drug use prevention is the key in making changes in the social sphere.

“This requires attention to social workers, we will raise their wages up to 50%. The education system needs reforms. However, rural schools should not be closed, but connected to gymnasiums into a network of schools. Also, colleges and universities have to connect into larger and more competitive units,” the party said.

“We have put our proposals for discussion. Citizens will be able to offer their suggestions for this beta version both electronically and through meetings with party members,” said Algirdas Sysas, the head of Social Democratic Party election headquarters.

The final version of the Social Democratic electoral program should be approved in August.

DELFI