A group of lawmakers from the Party of the People (PDG) caucus has expressed caution regarding the upcoming arrival of the national reconstruction mega-reform in Congress. Representatives Flor Contreras, Tamara Ramírez, Fabián Ossandón, and Patricio Briones warned that they will not grant a "blank check" to the proposed legislation.
The legislators emphasized the need for in-depth technical analysis to prevent negative fiscal impacts. The caucus's primary goal is to ensure that the urgency of the reconstruction efforts does not compromise the economic stability of the middle class or the emerging middle class.
Fiscal Rigor and Protecting the Middle Class
La Araucania Representative Flor Contreras stated that lawmakers will not legislate "blindly." She assured that they will review the technical, fiscal, and social impact of every measure proposed in the bill.
"We will not allow details to be overlooked under the guise of urgency, only to end up hitting the pockets of the middle class and families in our region," Contreras said. She added that economic recovery cannot come at the expense of workers.
Meanwhile, Representative Tamara Ramírez maintained that she will rigorously analyze every tax cut or tax benefit. The legislator warned that the state of emergency cannot serve as an excuse for a lack of fiscal discipline.
"I am not going to hand over a blank check; every benefit must be analyzed so as not to compromise the country's economic stability," Ramírez declared. The lawmaker aims to prevent a deficit that would harm the national treasury in the long term.
Representative Fabián Ossandón urged the debate to focus on the everyday needs of citizens, such as education, security, healthcare, and housing. He called for transparency in the evaluation of any tax-related proposals.
Finally, Representative Patricio Briones proposed a segmented review of the initiative to avoid "fine print" issues. Briones presented a specific proposal regarding corporate tax, suggesting that the rate for large companies be lowered from 27% to 23%.
According to Briones, this measure would allow for the collection of necessary funds to strengthen the treasury and provide immediate relief to the middle class, which is currently facing economic hardships.
