Young people are a nation’s greatest asset. As societies grow older, youth are relied upon to enter work, pay taxes and rear the next generation. But in an international labour market, talent retention is hard work for governments let alone businesses.
青年是一个国家最宝贵的财富。随着社会的老龄化，青年是就业、纳税和培养下一代的依靠。但在国际劳动力市场上，留住人才对政府来说都是一项艰巨的工作，更不用说企业了。
In the EU’s single market, it is particularly cut-throat. Many southern and eastern European economies — including Portugal, Italy, Poland and Romania — often see their youngest and most educated up sticks for the bloc’s more prosperous, and higher paying, northern economies. Plenty have not returned, hollowing out economies back home. The brain drain is, according to former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta, the “dark side” of the EU’s freedom of movement.
在欧盟的单一市场上，这种情况尤为残酷。许多南欧和东欧经济体，包括葡萄牙、意大利、波兰和罗马尼亚，经常看到本国最年轻、受教育程度最高的人才被吸引到集团中更繁荣、薪酬更高的北方经济体。很多人没有回国，导致本国经济空洞化。意大利前总理恩里科•莱塔认为，人才外流是欧盟自由流动的“阴暗面”。
Last week, Portugal decided to take matters into its own hands. The minority government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro unveiled an imaginative budget proposal to turn the country into a low-tax haven for young adults, offering a decade of tax breaks to those starting their careers. Under the plan, those aged 35 and under who earn up to €28,000 would pay no income tax for the first year. Tax relief would then be tapered over the next 10 years. Foreigners would also be able to benefit.
上周，葡萄牙决定自行采取行动。路易斯•蒙特内格罗总理领导的少数派政府公布了一项富有想象力的预算提案，将葡萄牙打造成年轻人的低税天堂，为初入职场的年轻人提供长达十年的税收减免。根据该计划，年龄在35岁及以下、收入不超过2.8万欧元的人第一年将无需缴纳所得税。在接下来的10年中，税收减免将逐渐减少。外国人也能从中受益。