Accompanied by authorities from the Planning and Budget Office and the Central Bank of Uruguay, the hierarch spoke at the Budget Commission integrated with the Treasury in the Chamber of Deputies. The head of Economy, Azucena Arbeleche, described the project as auspicious, because it foresees applying additional resources in priority areas and a salary recovery for state workers higher than that announced.
In the press conference held on July 6, after the presentation, the undersecretary of the portfolio, Alejandro Irastorza, also participated; the director of the Planning and Budget Office (OPP), Isaac Alfie, and the president of the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU), Diego Labat.
Arbeleche stressed that in this Accountability, emphasis is placed on the economic resources that will be allocated with a view to the future, which will be of “significant amounts” and directed to priority areas. Likewise, he considered that it is auspicious and different from the previous one, since, according to what he stated, Uruguay is going through a stage of growth, in which the jobs prior to the outbreak of the pandemic were recovered.
The estimated increase for 2022, of 4.8%, translates into greater economic resources, which are included in this surrender, assured the hierarch. He stressed that the Government has not neglected attention to emergencies and that the Coronavirus Fund continues to operate, in order to provide support in health, economic and social matters.
As reported, in the two years of government, efficient use was made of the available money and the commitment to “take care of everyone’s money” was fulfilled. “If we add what we spend in the Coronavirus Fund in 2020, 2021 and 2022, we reach 2.2 billion dollars”, plus the 320 million destined for 2023 and another 330 million for 2024, and “all without tax increases”, express.
Along these lines, the minister clarified that the figures contained in this surrender, assigned to the areas of education, security, innovation and infrastructure, are additional to those provided for in the national budget.
Arbeleche also emphasized the salary recovery of public workers, with which it will be fulfilled “as appropriate”, and that they will even receive a complement and will exceed what was included in the budget law. He stressed that this achievement was possible thanks to the agreement between the Confederation of Organizations of State Officials (COFE) and the Executive Power. In this sense, the minister explained that the Government is still in dialogue with the education unions (National Administration of Public Education, Technological University and Udelar).
He asserted that the University of the Republic (Udelar) receives additional resources in this proposal, since it adds to its budget of 470 million dollars 7 million for the university center that is being built in Paysandú and its officials will obtain a salary recovery, by the same as those of the National Research and Innovation Agency (ANII), 75% of whose researchers belong to Udelar. Presidency
