With only three votes in favor and six against, the commission formed to review the project of fiscal reform decided to reject the proposal of a substitute text presented by the Executive Power and now it will be waiting for a new plan.
The intense negotiations held during the course of the morning, in which even the Minister of the Presidency took part did not work. The project was only approved by legislators Welmer Ramos from Acción Ciudadana, Wálter Muñoz from the National Integration, and Pedro Muñoz from the Christian Social Unity.
The two representatives of National Restoration, Carlos Avendaño and Eduardo Cruickshank, were against the proposal, as well as José María Villalta from Frente Amplio, and Gustavo Viales from National Liberation.
Carlos Avendaño, head of the National Restoration faction, announced before the vote his opposition to the text presented by the Executive, under the allegation that there was very little time to present motions, in addition to opposing the VAT on health services, education, and the basic basket, among others.
It was presented on July 5th and that was the day that motions were put in, so there was no time to analyze the contents of this new proposal, where there are taxes for medicines, for rents, for private education, for the basic basket,”
recriminated Avendaño.
Villalta, on the other hand, justified his vote against the proposal because the Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged to the basic food basket and that it affects the agricultural sector.
Viales, from the PLN, said that the group is in favor of a fiscal plan, which is “necessary and consistent,” but that it is necessary to work on a more progressive proposal.
The commission began to see the other motions submitted to the project, a mere procedural aspect, while negotiating a new text with the Executive Power.
By regulation, the group has a new option to do so, through the so-called article 137, a path that sets deadlines for discussion to legislators.