The deputy of Morena, Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar, member of the Finance Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, told Political Expansion that “nothing is contemplated at the moment, neither increasing nor imposing new taxes.”
However, he declined to comment on Monreal’s announcement regarding tax reform.
“I don’t know in what context he said it,” he argued.
Although in the past he himself has developed proposals on tax matters and to redistribute wealth, Ramírez Cuéllar limited himself to saying that the discussion of the Economic Package will only begin.
Previously, upon leaving a meeting of Morenoist legislators with the president at the National Palace, the legislator stated that they did not address the issue with the president.
-Did they talk about a possible tax reform? They asked him.
“No, specific issues were not discussed, but simply what was done (in legislative matters),” he responded.
Meanwhile, politician Fernando Belaunzarán said that, although Sheinbaum denied that there would be tax reform, reality made him change his mind because “it is not enough for them and he needs to see where they get it from.”
“I don’t like the idea of giving more money to a proto-dictatorship, whose spending is decided unilaterally with factional criteria. In democracy, responsibility must be shared. I hope that the opposition is aware of that and does not buy it with crumbs for the governments that they preserve,” he said.
Experts see tax reform as necessary
Experts such as the professor of Economics at Tec de Monterrey, Cynthia Valeriano López, pointed out that a tax reform is necessary given the economic situation in which the country finds itself and the increase in social programs promoted by the federal government.
“Absolutely (a tax reform is needed), that is, if we did a concrete analysis of the financial situation, the economy, according to the latest public finance report, it is projected that we will be closing 2024 with a budget deficit very close to 5.5 % of GDP, (that) puts pressure on the spending that has been generated from the operation of the programs and the way in which they have grown,” he commented.
In an interview, the specialist reiterated that spending has grown due to the implementation of social programs, since nearly 800 billion pesos are needed to pay for this government policy; There are only two ways to support them, he warned, taxes or debt.
“The spending pressure is tremendous. We are talking about more than 800 billion pesos just to give sustainability to social programs. There is no way to satisfy them through taxes or public debt, and as far as President Claudia Sheinbaum has emerged, she has not made any statement that it is in her interest to increase the debt ceiling and I think something is coming. tremendously critical for the economic situation and forecasts,” he said.
The coordinator of the Laboratory in Commerce, Economy and Business (LANCE) commented that a fiscal reform is necessary to sustain the implementation of the 20 reforms that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador left to his successor Claudia Sheinbaum.
In interview with Political Expansionexplained that a tax reform is needed, but not a tax reform, since the first aims to incorporate more taxpayers, and the second, to increase taxes.
He mentioned that for the tax reform, businessmen who do not pay taxes could be added, as is the case of platforms, or cover “gray areas” of large taxpayers who look for loopholes in the law to avoid paying.
“What is necessary to avoid with the tax reform is evasion, avoidance of large taxpayers, expanding the tax base which is to incorporate taxpayers who are not contemplated due to gaps in the law, and the other is regarding the IEPS is to incorporate more categories to increase the tabulators of this law or expand the tax base,” he said.
The director of the Center for Economic and Budgetary Research (CIEP), Alejandra Macías, agreed that it is imperative that there be a tax reform to cover 2025 expenses.
“That (tax reform) is necessary, yes, that it will be presented, I don’t think,” he considered.
He explained that this is important because the country has “very low” public income, what is collected is not enough to pay what is spent and there will be a “high” deficit of 6%.
“When you want to generate new public policy, you need to have some fiscal space to be able to finance these new policies. Our fiscal space fell from 2023 to 2024 by 60%. A tax reform is needed to expand that space and equitably finance all people’s rights,” he mentioned.
In addition, he pointed out that, if a tax reform is not presented, there could be cuts to programs such as health and education.
“What has been happening for years is that spending on pensions is displacing spending on health and education and infrastructure,” he declared.
