Bruno Defelippe, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, dedicated to generating and promoting projects, organizations and companies with an impact, is running for the Senate for the Alianza Encuentro Nacional (AEN). He decided to run for the Upper House to support entrepreneurs, the sector to which he belongs.
Why do you want to be a senator?
I want to be the senator of the entrepreneurs. I want us to embark together on the path of making sure that it is easier for each of the Paraguayans who want to produce, who wants to generate employment and get ahead with their own means, effort and creativity, to be an entrepreneur. During the pandemic I had to experience the pain of the sector up close, seeing how priority was often given to other aspects of society and not to those who generate 70% of employment in Paraguay.
How did the pandemic affect the entrepreneurial sector?
I have met many cases of people who want to formalize their businesses, but it is very difficult, complex and expensive. Or it is very centralized in Asunción. Also, of course, the Fogapy effect, which reached 28,000 companies, between micro, small and medium, but it was pending that they reach many more. In Paraguay there are 260 thousand MSMEs with RUC that are already formal and could be accessing this type of benefits. Without it being a subsidy, simply through a guarantee fund, which allows lowering the cost of money for those who seek to start and grow their businesses to be able to employ more and generate more wealth in Paraguay.
Are your motivation entrepreneurs?
That is my main motivation. If you want to help the entrepreneur, many things end up being defined in the legislature, for example during the pandemic, when it was requested to expand Fogapy by US$100 million, the Senate rejected that, with the wrong premise, because there were not enough people representing entrepreneurs in the Senate. That request was simply to put more resources into the guarantee fund. It is not an expense since it is something that remains there permanently and that can later be a tool that remains active and can reach more entrepreneurs. At the same time we see that many of the problems of entrepreneurs have to do with the lack of access to training units, or quality technical assistance.
What can be done to improve the situation of the entrepreneurial world?
There is much that can be done. Improve the work of Sinafocal, of the National Professional Promotion Service (SNPP), actions that should be promoted from the legislature. Of course, the work that needs to be done to generate social security for the entrepreneurial sector. There are more than 1 million independent professionals in Paraguay who today do not have the possibility of having IPS, nor do they have the possibility of retiring, that type of thing must be taken immediate measures and we believe that a legislative force must be built with the Alianza Encuentro Nacional (AEN) and other allies of the Coalition to put entrepreneurs first and to make it State policy.
Have you already designed some specific projects that you want to present?
Actually, many of the things that we see are necessary and have already been legislated. Now what remains is to accompany that legislation with implementation. That means coordination between the Executive and the legislature. That is why it is important that in addition to having a representation in Congress, we have the alternation that allows Efraín Alegre and Soledad Núñez to be the next government of Paraguay.
Why are you part of the Alianza Encuentro Nacional?
We (with Soledad Núñez), together with the team from the Alianza Encuentro Nacional and also with Kattya (González), with Fernando Camacho and with the president of the Hagamos party Patrick Kemper, and our group that supports Soledad’s candidacy, made this alliance , because we realized that we cannot continue to be atomized. We cannot put above the need to renew the Congress, our own interest to put each of our lists. We have to unite to reach Congress with more force. In addition, we must offer the best men and women so that we can reach the Senate and give the dignity that they deserve to a state power such as the legislature.
