After an arduous discussion of more than ten hours of debate, the plenary session of the House of Representatives approved with 144 votes in favor and 13 againstthe draft general budget of the Nation for 2023 for $405.6 billion, only the conciliation of the project is pending for it to be approved in its entirety.
In context: General Budget 2023: Senate approves $405.6 billion in second debate
The $405.6 billion will be distributed in 74.02 billion for investment, 253.6 billion for the operation of the Stateoh close to 77.99 billion to cover the State debt.
“Many thanks to all the representatives, the commissions and the speakers who have worked hard these weeks on this budget, From the Treasury we have some important pending commitments to add to the addition, such as issues of family well-being, mobility, childhood”, pointed out the General Deputy Minister of Finance, Diego Guevara.
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Other portfolios that would have a larger budget than what was approved in the Senate would be Education with 54.8 billion, Health with 51.2 billion, Treasury with 48.7 billion and Defense with about 49.3 billion.
“This is a victory for the Governmentis a budget that advances significantly on the draft text that was presented by the previous government”, said the Minister of Finance, Jose Antonio Ocampo.
Against the pension tax, will be capped at 20% “and in the case of pensions they are pensions of more than 13 million pesos, less than 1% of the pensioners of Colombia”, added the minister.
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After passing through the plenary sessions of the Senate and Chamber, andhe budget will now have to go through the conciliation process in both chambers and so on definitely go to presidential sanction and become Republic law.
