The subsidy to mitigate the cost of fuel remains without agreements in Congress, where the deputies chose to prioritize other legislative initiatives before the one requested by the president, Bernardo Arévalo.
Last Friday, the president announced, on national television, the presentation of a bill to authorize subsidies to mitigate the increase in the cost of regular gasoline and diesel.
The proposal was presented by independent deputies related to the Arévalo government, but it generated doubts in different groups, including some that months ago have given their vote to Executive projects.
In response, benches like Cabal; Vision with Values (Viva); and the dissident faction of the ruling party, which promotes the creation of the Raíces political party, presented independent initiatives that compete with the official proposal.
This Tuesday, July 28, President Arévalo summoned members of the Permanent Commission of Congress, a body made up of members of the Board of Directors during the electoral recess, to request their support in approving the subsidies.
But the congressmen were clear in saying that the initiative had no agreements, a point that was confirmed with the first minutes of the legislative session on Wednesday, July 29.
Deputies from different groups expressed doubts because the first fuel subsidy did not satisfy, since the Government was not transparent with the execution of expenses.
In addition, some legislators question whether the money is given to fuel distributors and proposals have emerged to eliminate taxes on the distribution of gasoline and diesel.
In response, deputies altered the session’s agenda and prioritized two bills, the first focused on a payment to military veterans and the second that changes the Single Property Tax (ISUI).
Payment to veterans
Congress approved in its third reading and final draft initiative 6723, which reforms the Temporary Law of Comprehensive Development, which regulates a payment of Q36 thousand to military veterans for their services during the Internal Armed Conflict.
The modification empowers the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) to end the payment of Q36,000 to the beneficiaries of the program, which was initially regulated for three years.
With this reform, Mides can now conclude the payment in favor of military veterans who had not received the entire contribution, being approved in its final wording.
After extending the payment to the remaining military veterans, a second motion was presented, which seeks to add an extension to the payment of the vehicle circulation tax, before the reforms to the ISU.