El Ciudadano
Original article: Senador Diego Ibáñez: «La emergencia no es inevitable, la están creando ellos»
Senator Diego Ibáñez from the Broad Front joined the political outcry against the fuel price hike initiated by the government of José Antonio Kast, underscoring that there are «gradual alternatives» to address rising oil prices.
«The fuel price surge imposed on the middle class by presidential decree lacks technical necessity. It’s a politically callous and unexpected decision that abruptly shifts costs to consumers,» stated the legislator from the Valparaíso Region.
Next, Ibáñez emphasized that «there are gradual alternatives to deal with rising oil prices. Options that acknowledge the fiscal deficit, but also incorporate social responsibility.»
«We experienced this during the war in Ukraine: Despite strengthening the Mepco and increasing spending, Chile achieved a fiscal surplus in 2022 for the first time in a decade. Over four years, we closed with the lowest average deficit seen in the last 12 years (1.7%) and managed to halt the rise of public debt after a decade of increases,» argued the parliamentarian.
In this context, he stressed that «today, President Kast has unexpectedly renounced this role of the State without adequate technical justification.»
Ibáñez added, «No serious economist from any sector has recommended eliminating the Mepco in practice, especially not all at once,» questioning the fact that «while families face avoidable price hikes, Kast’s government pushes to eliminate taxes on capital gains and reduce burdens on large companies. Thus, the fiscal adjustment ultimately falls on those who have the least.»
Finally, the senator recalled, «On Monday, March 16, I attended La Moneda at the invitation of Minister Quiroz. We proposed treating this crisis as a matter of State, with a technical cross-party committee; however, a unilateral decision was made: a fuel price hike with compensations that won’t sufficiently mitigate the impact on the cost of living.»
«Four years ago, we faced a more complex scenario and accomplished more with less. Today, the crisis is not inevitable; it is being created by them,» concluded the Broad Front legislator.
The Citizen
La entrada Senator Diego Ibáñez: «The Crisis Is Not Inevitable; It’s Being Created by Them» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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