CaixaBank: "It is curious that when interest rates fall, the banking tax becomes permanent"

The president of BBVA affirms that "it does not make much sense" to put brakes, like the tax, on banking activity

MADRID, 15 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of CaixaBank, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, has spoken out again about the extraordinary tax on the sector, which the Government would be studying the possibility of making permanent, at a time when interest rates are falling.

"This was a tax that was created a couple of years ago, which was said to be for a limited period of time because there were extraordinary benefits that fell from the sky as a result of the rise in interest rates and it is curious that just when interest rates are lowering, it becomes permanent," he stated during his speech at the 'Wake Up Spain 2024' forum.

Goirigolzarri has admitted, however, that if the tax appears in the Official State Gazette, it will be complied with, although he wanted to point out that last year his entity paid 2.6 billion euros in taxes, with an effective rate of 35%.

For his part, the president of BBVA, Carlos Torres, who preceded Goirigolzarri, has insisted on a message that the sector has been sending since the approval of this tax and that is that Spain "needs" investment, a situation in which the banks they play "a key role."

"We are a neuralgic sector, we are at the center of economic activity and above all we help mobilize savings towards productive investment, which is the beginning of the growth cycle. This productive investment, as I say, improves productivity," he explained.

Therefore, he has maintained that banking is essential and that "it does not make much sense" to put brakes on this activity, as is the case with the tax, which applies a rate of 4.8% on interest margin and net commissions and which has been appealed before the National Court by both the affected entities and the banking associations AEB and CECA.