The Lépine fiscal competition has been launched.
A few hours before the long-awaited reopening of shops, this Saturday, the proposals are multiplying to support these professionals very hard hit by the crisis.
This Friday, the boss of the Normandy region, the centrist Hervé Morin, made his contribution, suggesting the establishment of a "
white Saturday
" for traders next month.
Read also: Containment: this closure that crushes small traders
The idea is simple, he explained on the set of
Four Truths
: Saturday is the most important day of the week for stores.
In addition, December is crucial for these activities, which take advantage of holiday shopping.
An even truer finding this year, marked by two confinements and a curfew.
For Hervé Morin, we must therefore support these workers and support consumption, by setting up, every week in December, a "
day when the State does not collect VAT, which would go to traders
".
Prices should therefore not drop, but VAT would end up in the pockets of professionals rather than those of the State.
"
Extremely simple
" to implement, this solution would have the advantage of avoiding any "
paperwork
" and would benefit "
everyone, whatever their situation
", pleaded the centrist city councilor.
Still, the idea of Hervé Morin is unlikely to succeed, Bercy having so far been very cautious on the issue of VAT.
If some of our European partners have played on this lever to revive growth, the government believes, based on the excellent consumption figures for the third quarter, that France does not need such a boost. .
In addition, such a measure would be "
poorly targeted
" and would be extremely expensive for the State, while its debt has already exploded since the beginning of the year.
Read also: The government still "hostile" to a reduction in VAT
Ministers responsible for economic issues, such as Bruno Le Maire and Agnès Pannier-Runacher have repeatedly repeated their reluctance to resort to a modulation of VAT.
“
We don't have a lot of leeway.
People vulnerable to a lot of their consumption are already at 5.5%.
As we have seen in the VAT cuts made at certain times, we do not have the hoped-for consumption rebound effect
, ”the Minister of Industry declared in October.
Hervé Morin also spoke in favor of more localized measures to combat the epidemic, in order to avoid penalizing an entire profession by a closure that falls like a cleaver.
"
Why still ban the opening of bars and restaurants in departments where the Covid is under control?
You have to have a little intelligence and consider [...] that a dialogue
"is necessary between the state and local communities to decide on restrictions adapted to the local level," pleaded the former right-wing minister.