The government’s economic team appeared in Parliament on Wednesday. Nationalist legislator said that “there may be modifications.”
After the appearance of the government’s economic team this Wednesday for the first time since Accountability entered Parliament, the deputy of the National Party Sebastián Andújar specified that it was “a very good presentation, very solid by the Minister of Economy , Azucena Arbleche”.
Arbeleche spoke together with other authorities of the MEF, the OPP and the Central Bank of Uruguay in the Budget Commission integrated with the Treasury of Deputies.
The legislator stressed that Accountability “increases spending in areas that had the need for that to happen.”
“Social policies, education, security, science and innovation. Also the conformity of a salary agreement concluded with COFE and with Fenapes, which was something long awaited. It was carried out, it was negotiated and it has been agreed in a good way”, said Andújar.
Regarding the questions made by the National Academy of Sciences that the resources allocated to this area are “clearly insufficient”, the representative defended that it was “difficult to understand what is sufficient”.
“We talk about wages, marginal terms and also about investment in education. Accountability has just entered and there are 45 days ahead. It is an open Surrender as has always happened in Parliament. There may be modifications,” said Andújar.
Meanwhile, the MPP deputy Bettiana Díaz questioned that “the Surrender is presented as one of recovery and economic growth, but nevertheless there are a series of indicators that recovery occurred only for some sectors.”
“Uruguay’s economy is growing, but with an increase in poverty, with popular pots, with more kitchens. There are some affirmations that continue to make us noisy, such as that there was no increase in fiscal pressure, in taxes. It must be remembered that one of the first measures taken by this government was to take a discount of two VAT points on purchases with electronic money instruments.Diaz questioned.
The legislator also questioned that the government “repeats that it is spending more on social policies, when it is not.”
“Actually there is an accounting entry made since the previous Surrender that transferred the benefits paid by BPS to family allowances given by the Ministry of Social Development. When you disaggregate those numbers, what you see is that Mides spending is actually falling, if the Covid Fund is also removed, which is transitory, “he added, who criticized that the resources allocated to education now do not compensate for the cuts made in previous years. .
For their part, in the presentation made by the authorities of the Ministry of Economy, they highlighted “the volume of allocated resources and the destination” that will be given to them.
Economy pointed out that after two years of the pandemic, the economy is recovering and “the commitment to recover real wages and liabilities is fulfilled, without raising taxes.”
Along these lines, the government pointed to economic growth and employment as a priority, but also emphasized that “the fiscal rule made it possible to sustain social policies, strengthen the investment grade”, support investment and employment.
