Government veto will eliminate tranches, but will not change payments in Emergency Income

The government made the political decision not to negotiate new resources regarding the Emergency Family Income project and therefore will present a veto with minor modifications compared to the original, and far from the opposition’s request.

According to sources close to La Moneda, the veto will eliminate the two tranches proposed, which established a bonus per capita in the first month of $ 65,000 for the most vulnerable 40%, and a lower amount of $ 43,000 for those who are between 41 % and 60% poorer. Now it will raise a single section to the poorest 60%. And it will incorporate a similar bonus to the most vulnerable over 80s.

And the original idea of ​​the amount will be maintained and that it will decrease over time: $ 65,000 the first month; $ 55,250 the second month; and $ 45,500 the third month. Both points criticized by the opposition, but that the ministers secretary general of the Presidency (Segpres), Felipe Ward, and of Social Development, Sebastián Sichel, assured they will not be traded in a two-hour meeting held yesterday with the heads of the bench of ChileVamos . After this meeting, Sichel announced the line of action: “We will send a veto, most likely it will be a substitute or additive veto, that is part of the legislative strategy that we are taking. It’s not that you don’t change a single comma, it’s just what we said we could spend. “

In fact, in the meeting with the ruling party, a much discussed topic was the need to reserve a budget for the needs that will arise after the pandemic in July. “Politically it was highlighted that the government was very firm in not granting anything regarding the amount, although if regarding coverage,” said the deputy Patricio Melero (UDI). In fact, Sichel said that of the total $ 2 billion fund, $ 800 million will be allocated for this bond, and the $ 1.2 billion will be available for future ideas.

There was no applause on the front sidewalk. “Maintaining the amount and the decreasing mode of delivery would demonstrate that it is half-hearted aid, because it does not solve the main objective that the most vulnerable do not have to choose between quarantining or having nothing to eat,” said the president of the Commission. of the Treasury, senator Jorge Pizarro (DC).

Likewise, Senator Ricardo Lagos (PPD) called the government to talk before sending the veto: “What we have asked for is within the same budgetary framework that the President himself set at US $ 2 billion. I think this can be carried out next week, in the first three days, but it requires a willingness for real dialogue on the part of the government. ”