Spain is reversing its fiscal stimulus by raising its main value-added tax rate next year.
Italy's value-added tax rate on hotels and bars is 10%, compared with 7% in most European countries.
Some goods and services now subject to a reduced value-added tax rate will have to bear the full 16% rate.
Ms Salgado is already raising value-added tax, with the top rate going from 16% to 18% in July.
The most damaging was a move by the government at the start of 2009 to double the rate of value-added tax on pay-TV to 20%.
An existing 16.5% tax on wholesale transactions is to become a value-added tax at a slightly lower rate, though existing exemptions will survive (a mistake, say some economists).
Wen said the government is focused on stabilizing the economy and will use fiscal policy such as value-added taxes, acceleration of interest rate reform and wider involvement of private investment in the economy rather than government spending increases.
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The manifesto confirms its ambitions on tax: for a lower 10p starting rate of income tax, for a cut from 8% to 5% in value-added tax on fuel, and for no increase in the 23p basic rate nor the 40p higher rate of income tax.
Consumers may cut back on spending now that the main rate of VAT (value-added tax) has returned to 17.5% after 13 months at 15% to counter the recession.
Ms Farrell notes that, if the Turkish government managed to collect 90% of its value-added-tax revenues instead of the current 64%, it could lower the tax rate from 18% to 13% without sacrificing any income.
Civic Platform has promoted a single rate of 15% for value-added tax and income tax, wants to shrink government and favours faster privatisation of the state's remaining assets.
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