The undersecretary of Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Martin Vallcorba, came to the crossroads of the criticism that the project Law of Competitiveness and Reduction of the Cost of Living and said that article 140, which enables a second importer “It is key and central” in the government’s strategy to lower the cost of living.
“What does not seem very consistent is that we complain that Uruguay is expensive and that when a public policy that has a specific purpose and specifically aims to generate conditions to lower the cost of living, let’s start to doubt due to side effects,” said Vallcorba this Thursday, when participating in the signing of the agreement for the new Incentive Regime for International Air Connectivity between the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) and Uruguay Airports.
The undersecretary of the MEF made reference to article 140 of the Competitiveness bill that received criticism from the business and the opposition. He article 140 foresees the simplification of registration of subsequent importers. This measure establishes a procedure so that any company can register and import a product that has already been previously registered and evaluated before the competent authorities by a first importer.
Vallcorba described it as a “key and central” article in the government’s strategy. “What this will allow us is that products such as toothpaste, cleaning supplies and food products that Uruguay already imports today and that we have a very large price differential on the other side of the fronteraas we increase the competencethat it does not remain in a single exclusive importer,” he said.
The undersecretary of the portfolio stated “radically against” of the proposal presented by the Chamber of Industries (CIU) of Parliament to “break down or box in” article 140. Instead, Vallcorba noted that the MEF is willing to discuss alternatives and analyze “opportunities for improvement.”
On the other hand, Vallcorba referred to the movement’s demand One Uruguay Regarding the statements of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Gabriel Oddonewho stated that the private sector needs to “move the needle” for the country to grow. “The problem of Uruguay’s growth cannot fall solely on those who produce,” said the group made up of agricultural producers.
Photo: Ignacio Sánchez.
“Many times what there is is a attitude that tries to block transformations in defense of corporate interests that are legitimate and against that is what is in some way proposed; the need not to be tied to the state in whichto generate conditions to be able to promote transformations that allow, for example, more competition,” defended Vallcorba.
The leader also referred to the cost of gasoila permanent claim of the rural sector and asked to “recognize the contribution that the State is making at this time” by setting fuel prices without strictly following what is set by the Import Parity Price (PPI), which has allowed “cushioning” the increase in the price of crude oil internationally.
“If today we applied the rule that was approved in the Urgent Consideration Law of the last government, the price of diesel should be almost 30% higher than what we have today, so that is a contribution of public policies to allow the private sector to work, invest, take risk and in this way, contribute to the economy growing,” said Vallcorba.
Source: www.elpais.com.uy
