Chapter 149 Debate

"After discussion, a Civil Service Reform Management Committee can be formed, which will directly take orders from His Majesty and be responsible for coordinating and supervising the implementation of the official appointment system," Prime Minister Alexandros responded to Costebrew's question.

"For Greece, things are different from the past. The new bourgeoisie like you are very wealthy and powerful, and many members of the parliament have had contacts with you for a long time. After the current crisis, the members of the parliament who represent the interests of the bourgeoisie have Increased power"

After the Prime Minister announced the reform, although most MPs were opposed to it, it is worth noting that a small number of MPs also supported the Prime Minister's reforms.

In addition to the righteous congressmen who really can't stand the officials' collusion, there are also dozens of congressmen who are closely related to the interests of the bourgeoisie and have even invested in business in Greece, so they support the Prime Minister's reforms.

This in itself proves that the power of the bourgeoisie is growing in Greek society.

"Reform of the official appointment system is indeed urgent, but if officials leave office or retire and still have no guarantee of survival, I think no matter how we reform, the unscrupulous corruption of officials will still be impossible to stop." Delianis road.

"The reason why officials accept bribes when they hold official positions is not only because of greed. The country does not have a corresponding system to help officials cope with life after retirement and leaving office."

"This fear of future life drives public officials to seize the opportunity to grab money while they are in office. Moreover, the more frequent political parties rotate, the more rampant this trend becomes."

"Because political parties change frequently, it means that their time in office is limited."

"To be honest, I have also seen colleagues who dislike officials or legislators, who use their hands to obtain illegal benefits. They performed their duties well when they were in office, but their lives quickly fell into trouble after leaving office."

"These upright public servants, or congressmen, have become negative examples. Because of them, other public officials will be even more afraid of the days when they lose power, and they will try their best to make money while they are in office." Delianis' experience as an official Representatives also fight for the interests of civil servants.

Everyone was discussing quietly with each other, and the meeting hall was buzzing.

After a while, it became quiet again, and everyone looked at the Prime Minister, hoping that he could provide a solution to the problem that Delianis reacted to.

"It is true that civil servants who have served in the government for a long time lose their livelihood security after losing their official position," the Prime Minister said confidently.

"Therefore, in the reform of the official appointment system, we must also establish a retired official system so that they have no worries." After saying this, he looked at everyone's reaction, especially Delianis's attitude.

For Delianis, reform is imperative, and as a representative, he has fought for enough benefits for current public officials.

Judging from the Prime Minister's reform measures, the initial reform of the official appointment system will be moderate.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Alexandros continued: "Then, the next discussion is about the tax system. Everyone can speak freely."

"I think the current tax system is actually very fair. All Greek citizens pay the same taxes," said Silos, the tailor shop owner.

"What's a fairer tax system? None!"

Siros opened a tailoring shop in the city of Athens, and the royal family was also his client, earning a lot of money.

Under the current equal taxation system, the tax he pays is almost negligible. He who earns 20,000 to 30,000 drachmas per month pays the same tax as someone with a monthly income of 200 drachmas.

No matter how the tax system is changed, the taxes he has to pay will increase significantly, so he is naturally unwilling to change the current tax system.

"Yes, in fact, the current tax system is quite reasonable. It is only fair for citizens of the Kingdom of Greece to pay the same tax," several people present agreed.

Representatives of small shopkeepers, handicraftsmen, and small workshop owners present, including Costeburu, the default successor of Alfa Bank, and the general manager of the Greek Congo Corporation, such absolute high-income earners and representatives of the bourgeoisie, also nodded in agreement. .

Originally, Costebrough wanted to make a speech to prove that this tax system was indeed fair, but when he looked up and saw Constantine standing behind the king with a half-smile, he probably felt a little shameless. I had the nerve to say it, but closed my mouth angrily.

"It's just sophistry," Delianis said angrily.

"Some Greeks, when they are born, have wealth that no one else can match in their lifetime. Their incomes are so different but they pay the same taxes. How is this unfair?"

As representatives of public servants, officials absolutely support the reform of the tax system so that Greece can receive more taxes.

After all, the more revenue the government earns, the more money they, the civil servants, get.

In the final analysis, all government expenditures have to go through their hands.

Now it's the official representatives' turn to support it, while others oppose it.

Sometimes, the reason why there are so many disputes in human society is because everyone has different positions and different viewing angles. The same question may lead to completely opposite answers.

Many social problems are not like 1+1=2, where the answers are intuitive and irrefutable.

"No matter what, Greece is facing a debt crisis, and the current equal-payment tax system can no longer keep up with the country's development situation," Alexandros said.

"If we want to be fair, it is better to pay different taxes according to individual wealth," Delianes continued.

"In order to expand the government's finances and adjust the widening wealth gap among citizens, I suggest that we should use the progressive taxation method."

Progressive taxation means to determine different tax rates according to the level of income, with high-income earners taxed at a high rate and low-income earners taxed at a low rate.

As soon as Delianes' progressive tax was spoken, the meeting hall was in an uproar.

"No, no, progressive taxation is really unfair," Silos said strongly.

"This is to hit hard work and reward laziness. Although such taxation will significantly increase the country's finances for a while, it will be harmful to the country in the long run, because this system will hit capable people, and the higher the income, the more disadvantaged people will suffer," Gao Borui objected.

"Proportional taxation should be adopted. No matter how much income one has, everyone should pay tax at a uniform rate. In this way, people with high incomes pay higher taxes, and people with low incomes pay lower taxes. This will increase fiscal revenue without the drawbacks of progressive taxation." Silos was emotional. He chose the lesser of two evils. Although the proportional taxation system would increase his tax payable several times, it was still much less than progressive taxation.

The current situation is also very clear. If the government's tax revenue cannot be increased, it will go bankrupt;

However, the tax system has changed from equal taxation to progressive taxation. The span is too large and it is easy to cause trouble. It is also not advisable.

"In this case, it is better to use the proportional taxation system for personal income taxation," Prime Minister Alexandros concluded.