What do you propose to improve the economic situation?, was the question that EL ECO asked Mario Colman (National Party), Nibia Reisch (Colorado Party) and Nicolás Viera (Frente Amplio), based on what Accountability is who entered parliament.
Reisch: “World war problem”
The Colorado deputy said in the first instance that “we have 45 days to deal with the Rendering of Accounts. There we are going to see how the situation in the country is and the distribution that is proposed in the different areas”.
Regarding the increase in consumer prices “we have expressed concern, unfortunately it is a problem that is happening in all parts of the world as a result of the war declared by Russia. As long as the war is going on, food prices will continue to rise, and to this are added climatic problems that have affected production and increased prices.”
In his native Nueva Helvecia, where he lives with his parents, he is in charge of making the purchases and “I know how the current situation affects the workers who earn 20 or 22 thousand pesos in the interior, and the retiree who earns the minimum of 14 thousand pesos, and he has taken loans, and he has 8 or 9 thousand pesos left in his hand, and he may still be paying rent. What I am saying is that unfortunately there are situations of wars on a global level that modify prices”.
She is concerned about “the price of food in general” and as a nutritionist she was aware of the increased cost of food for 20,000 celiacs and diabetics. I have asked the government to take certain initiatives so that diabetics and celiacs have differential, lower prices”.
He insisted that the increase in the cost of living is “a global reality. The price of food is a market issue, we do have to take measures so that people do not stop having access to food. The amount of the Mides cards was a proposal from Ciudadanos (red sector to which the deputy belongs). Without a doubt, I am concerned about those with the lowest incomes, both workers and retirees.”
Battery of Viera proposals
For the opposition -as it is not a government- it is different to talk about proposals and it has been making them since the beginning of the pandemic, first and now as a result of the depressed economic situation in workers of medium and small private companies and non-managerial public workers. Nicolás Viera, a Frente Amplio deputy, detached himself from what the Rendering of Accounts will be and replied that his party “has been proposing measures to mitigate the crisis for a long time.” The initiatives were presented to President Luis Lacalle and in Parliament.
Some initiatives that legislator Viera cited:
-Elimination of VAT on products of the basic basket. “To that we add that it should be extended to supergas. These measures must be implemented for a period of no less than six months and immediately, given the broad political consensus generated by this urgency.”
-”Temporarily eliminate VAT on diesel for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
-Temporarily reduce sensitive rates for the most impoverished sectors of the population, for example the electricity rate up to a certain level of consumption (less than 300 Kwh)
-Keep fuel prices unchanged.
-Immediate increase in public salaries that allows the process of salary recovery to begin, demanding the essential commitment of the government.
-Additional increase in the National Minimum Wage.
-Permanent increase in pensions that is not deductible from the increase by the Average Salary Index in January 2023.
-Additional increase to the previous one for minimum pensions”.
Finally, he expressed that it is necessary to “give stability and predictability to prices” and for that, a consensus must be reached at the political level.
Colman: There are those who “are almost hanging by the nails”
The National Party bench held a meeting with the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle, one of the topics discussed was the cost of living, beyond what Accountability is,” said Colonial legislator Mario Colman.
“There is an external phenomenon that becomes its own over time, which is inflation, Covid, wars, which have impacted our country. Beyond that, we ask the president for a clear message, especially for the middle class, in addition to the most vulnerable sectors. We ask that a solution be provided to those who are almost hanging by the nails so that they do not fall into a situation of vulnerability. The possibility of seeing some relief, especially tax, is being analyzed, in addition to the measures that have already been taken,” the nationalist told EL ECO.
The reality that many people face economically “we see it daily”, and “we ask the government to have favorable tax measures for the sectors that are having a hard time.”
