Iván Duque announces advancement of the Christmas bonus for public sector workers

The President of the Republic, Iván Duque, announced in his ‘Prevention and Action’ program that 1.2 million public sector workers will receive the Christmas bonus in advance, which will allow them to inject more than 1.4 trillion pesos into the economy.

“We have seen that for many families to be able to buy and activate the economy they need us to advance some of the payments,” explained the head of state, and announced that in the coming days they will issue a circular from the Presidency so that between November 15 and 30 the payment of the Christmas premium in the public sector is advanced.

Grass: The proposal of the Uribista referendum on Fecode

“In the territorial entities the idea is that the governors and mayors are empowered to do so,” explained Duque.

For the president, these families may have the resources to get up early for Christmas and also point to the Black Friday which is celebrated in Colombia on November 27, a day that opens the Christmas shopping season with promotions and sales in many stores.

But also November 21 would be the third day without VAT Therefore, public workers, to whom the premium is advanced for this date, will be able to make their purchases with this tax benefit.

Clothing, household appliances, sports equipment, toys, school supplies and goods and supplies for the agricultural sector are the products that will not have VAT, on November 21.

Likewise, some caps have been established. Purchases for household appliances and agricultural supplies may not exceed $ 2,848,000. The limit for clothing will be $ 712,140, ​​that of toys will be $ 356,070 and school supplies will have a purchase restriction of $ 178,035. Payments can only be made by electronic means.

Christmas early morning

“We have taken, as a Government, measures that are important to get up early for Christmas and, at the same time, give a boost to the Colombian economy and job creation and support micro, small, medium and large companies”Duque explained.

Grass: Coral reefs of San Andrés endangered by illegal parrotfish fishing

In this context, the president asserted that Colombians have been warned for months that the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic (covid-19) would change their way of living.

“I have been warning for several months that we would have Love and Friendship with covid, Halloween with covid, Christmas with covid and quite possibly we will have the next Easter with covid, but we do not say this to fill ourselves with bitterness, but so that we understand that our collective intelligence, that our civic culture, that our overwhelming ability to not lower our guard allows us to move forward without having to see tragic circumstances such as those that have occurred “, explained the President of the Colombians.