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Original article: Exministro Marcelo Mena cuestionó reforma de Kast: «Que el Estado pague los gastos de una empresa cuya RCA fue anulada por un tribunal es transferir al contribuyente el riesgo que le corresponde al inversionista»

Former Environment Minister Marcelo Mena addressed the contentious «miscellaneous law» project proposed by José Antonio Kast’s administration, criticizing the regulation that seeks to have the State cover expenses for companies whose RCA (Environmental Qualifying Resolution) is annulled by the courts.

“There is a measure that, during my years working in this field, I have never heard anyone demand. For the State to cover expenses of a company whose RCA was annulled by a court is to transfer the regulatory risk that should belong to the investor onto the taxpayer,” declared the former Secretary of State in a post on his X social media account.

According to Mena, this approach “socializes private risk with public resources that should fund health, education, or environmental oversight.”

“This mechanism does not protect legitimate investment; it protects poorly assessed investments. Projects with rightly granted RCAs are not annulled by the courts,” he added, highlighting his concerns as a former minister under President Bachelet.

Dismantling of the SBAP

In his post, Marcelo Mena, who currently serves as CEO at The Global Methane Hub, raised alarms about the intention to deactivate the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service, which becomes evident in the current administration’s policies.

“The SBAP took 12 years to process, and this government wants to delay its functioning by another two years, postponing priority sites even further,” warned Mena.

In his view, “extending the SBAP regulations by four to five years is not a technical adjustment; it’s the deactivation of the Biodiversity Service for the entire presidential term.”

“Law 21.600 took a decade of political consensus. To bury it by decree of deadlines is a national decision that deserves debate, not just a transitional clause,” emphasized the former minister.

“In other words, the reform is poorly conceived. I do not see it as viable. It’s highly ideological,” concluded Marcelo Mena.

We will continue to keep you informed.

La entrada Former Minister Marcelo Mena Critiques Kast’s Controversial Reform: «State Coverage of Business Expenses Following RCA Cancellation Shifts Risk to Taxpayers» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.