Representatives of seven chambers affiliated with the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), confirmed that there is no rapprochement between their organizations and the Government of Daniel Ortega, unless it is to manage permits or licenses, “just like a citizen who has problems with Enacal, would approach to speak with someone from Enacal”, illustrated the manager of the National Commission of Sugar Producers, (CNPA), Mario Amador.
César Zamora, president of Cosep, caused a stir this Tuesday, the 21st, when he declared to Noticias 12 that the cameras are having dialogues with the authorities today, and it is on their agendas to resolve these issues. Part of the discussion with CABEI is to see these issues in a corporate way”, he said, assuring that the Central American Bank for Economic Integration operates as a “facilitator”.
The common denominator of the entrepreneurs and managers consulted is that, before sitting down to talk about political issues with the Government, they must the release of all political prisoners.
Amador stressed that “what has caused the most ‘noise’ is that it is said that there is a dialogue, but that it’s not like 2018, but communication between businessmen and government entities to be able to operate. All entrepreneurs need to speak with the Government, the mayors, the DGI, the MTI, the Mitrab, or the National Ports Company, but a table like the one from 2018, there is none. That does not exist”, he assured categorically.
He explained that there was a meeting that was generated from an invitation made by CABEI to some chambers affiliated with Cosepwhich was attended by three high-ranking government officials (the president of the Central Bank, Ovidio Reyes; the Minister of Finance, Iván Acosta, and the Superintendent of Banks, Luis Ángel Montenegro), “but it was for those specific issues,” he reiterated.
When asked in this regard, the president of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce and Services (CCSN), Carmen Hilleprandt, explained that “when our partners have an issue that must be dealt with by any entity such as the Treasury, DGI, Customs, or Mific, we seek how be an enabler, so they can continue to do business. We seek how to support our membership, the member of the Chamber of Commerce, trying to solve the problems they may have, making the proposals that we consider pertinent”.
Dialogue? release them first
Five other businessmen who expressed their views on the condition that their names not be revealed, reiterated that there is no rapprochement with the government leadership, nor is there interest in something like that, under current conditions.
The president of a union entity that supports productive activity, announced that the day there is a formal invitation for a dialogue with the Government, they are going to call an assembly, so that the plenary session decides whether they should attend or not, “an invitation that to this day, we have not received, and of which there are not even signs”.
“How are we going to see aspects of national life, if representatives of the private sector are still in jailreceiving cruel treatment, and serving unjust sentences?” he questioned.
Amador recalls that “Cosep has said that any political dialogue goes through the release of political prisoners. There are voices that say that we should not dialogue with the government, but there are hardly any conflicts that have not ended through dialogue. Eventually, you have to speak up, because if you don’t, you’re not going to get anywhere,” he noted.
But the manager of a chamber that provides services to companies believes that a new government proposal for “dialogue” would provoke a huge discussion, since there are businessmen who have great interests, “who would have no choice but to accept”, and others who are more independent, and do not want to know anything about El Carmen.
In any case, he observes, “at this point, businessmen have a lot to lose, and more than before, because the profits are going to pay taxes,” he recalled.
Another of the sources – who presided over a service sector chamber – does not see it possible to attend to a hypothetical call for dialogue, because the representatives of the private sector would know that they are being invited “with a gun to their heads, and for that reason it is difficult to say that no, but what are you going to ‘harmonize’ if the other points a gun at you?” he questioned.
Finally, an economist who provides services to another business chamber said that they have meetings with the government to resolve the problems faced by their members, harassed by the collection of taxes Y customs obstaclesand convinced that “this does not contribute to the business climate, and occurs as a form of pressure and harassment to impose the will of the ruler.”
He reiterated that “in COSEP there is consensus that the way out of the crisis requires negotiation”, although there is no agreement on the agenda, because while some propose to focus only on the economic, others believe that there should be a more comprehensive approach, and there are others who continue to have a ‘normal’ relationship, which was not altered even during the April 2018 Rebellion.
“The only meeting where there was an olive branch, was during the meeting to which CABEI invitedbecause three government officials were there, and that is political, but nothing political was discussed,” he reiterated.
management, nothing more
“We were not invited. [a la cita con el BCIE]so we did not attend, and if we had been invited, we would not have attended, because that would lead to a friendly compromise that could have been misunderstood, in the situation we are experiencing, “said the president of the union entity that supports productive activity.
“I don’t know that the private sector is ‘in meetings,’ but if we had to deal with a regulatory issue, Customs, procedures, permits, for our daily work, that would have to happen because if not, the companies would be paralyzed, but we do not have a communication channel with the public sector. I don’t know what Cesar is referring to,” he indicated.
For his part, the former president of the agricultural union said that they have not had any meeting with the government, but “we will have to do it when we have to manage a permit or license. With CABEI, we only saw each other the time they convened their new building, but that was in the public domain, because it came out in all the media.”
Hilleprandt, from the Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged that the representatives of various chambers have met with CABEI, and that they in particular received the visit of officials from that regional entity “to present their projects to us, and see how our partners can benefit, in the conditions in which they are offered. They are ‘socializing’ so that we have the information, and that we know how to access the banks”.
The manager of the chamber that provides services to companies, assured that “it does not occur to us to meet with CABEI, and if it is the Government, only with my regulatory body, which we have to visit to present a report or request a letter , but not to talk about anything political.
The source who presided over the chamber of the services sector, asserted that they also have no contacts, neither with the Government, nor with the regional bank. “The one who issued the invitation was CABEI, but through a small group trusted by César Zamora, to control the tone of the meeting, and the topics,” he asserted.
Finally, an economist who provides services to another business chamber, pointed out that if one of his partners attended CABEI’s invitation, it was “in a personal capacity, not institutional”, and took the opportunity to raise the obstacles and obstacles that must be overcome to access the resources available to the Bank to finance small businesses. “We didn’t know if the government was going to be there, but it was suspected that it would,” and they were right.
In the following weeks, they are waiting to be able to meet with CABEI representatives, so that the members of the chamber to which they belong can learn about their offer of resources, and determine if they can access them.
Regarding the alleged meetings with the Government, he said that the only thing that exists is the steps they have to take to obtain the letter of compliance that allows them to continue operating; and contacts with the technicians of entities such as the DGA, the IPSA, or various government commissions, which is valid for sectors such as energy, banking, free zones and mines, which are regulated and must interact with the Government.
