Deputies approve the General State Budget in large measure and begin treatment in detail

The Chamber of Deputies approved this Thursday morning, in its large station, the law of the General State Budget (PGE) 2023, after reconsidering the rejection that existed last week.

In the middle of an atypical session, in which a brief intermission period was even arranged to find consensus, the ‘evista’ and ‘arcista’ blocks agreed and imposed their majoritydespite the rejection of the opposition.

Finally, with the support of 68 legislators, the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies approved the bill 006/2022-2023 of the PGE 2023.

The early morning of Thursday, December 8 the bill was rejected at its station in large, even with a roll call vote, with 68 votes againstand an intermediate room was declared until 6:30 p.m. of that same day, to be treated again.

However, it was later reported that the session was postponed until Tuesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. and that day a new postponement was announced, until today. In the meantime there were several meetings within the bench of the Movimiento Al Socialismo (PLUS).

The Creemos bench warns that in the session there was not a reconsideration by two thirds of votes, as established in the regulation, but with a simple majority of the official party. “The first result of this sana sana is to violate the regulation and the second sana sana is to approve this budget that is merely centralist”, indicated the deputy Erwin Bazán.

According to article 114 of the debate regulations of the Lower House, to “reconsider a resolved matter” a legislator must formulate the petition, must have the support of five deputies and, in addition, “the favorable vote of two thirds of the deputies present”.

According to the Government, the PGE 2023 outlines a growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 4.86% for next year, a public investment of $4,006 million and guarantees the payment of social bonds.

With the PGE 2023, an aggregate budget of Bs 317,129 million and a consolidated budget of Bs 243,950 million are projected.

For the Education sector, a budget of Bs 26,347 million is contemplated, that is, 10.8% of the consolidated PGE; for Health, Bs 24,639 million (10.1% of the consolidated PGE); for Government, Bs 5,346 million (2.2%) and for Defense, Bs 4,401 million (1.8%).