Original article: Diputadas presentan cientos de indicaciones a proyecto de megarreforma tributaria de Kast On Monday, November 5, Representative Nathalie Castillo (PC) submitted a total of 168 amendments to the «national reconstruction» bill proposed by the government, commonly referred to as Kast’s «comprehensive tax reform. » It’s important to note that this initiative was introduced on April 22, and its legislative intent has already been approved by the Finance Committee in the Chamber, allowing for the proposal to continue its detailed discussion. In this context, Representative Castillo introduced a package of amendments primarily aimed at strengthening transparency mechanisms, oversight, and institutional control; safeguarding environmental protection standards and citizen participation; and preventing excessive flexibilization in environmental, tax, and property matters.
According to Castillo, these proposals address the need to correct various aspects of the project that could lead to regressive effects in environmental, tax, property, and institutional control areas—a concern that is not new for her, as she previously advocated for environmental and water protections in the desalination project during Boris’s administration in the last parliamentary period. «There is a trend to ease procedures and reduce standards for oversight, citizen participation, and environmental protection, while strengthening tax benefits and exceptional mechanisms that could disproportionately favor large economic groups and capital incomes. This is very concerning and sends a negative signal to the country,» Representative Castillo stated.
Meanwhile, Representative Ana María Gazmuri (Humanist Action) submitted a total of 38 amendments directed at 16 articles of the legislative initiative. Her goal is to halt what she describes as an «excessively deregulated project with insufficient democratic checks. » «Chile needs reconstruction, but it must be fair, transparent, and democratic.
The comprehensive tax reform cannot become a gift for large industries or an excuse to weaken public controls. This is why, in addition to my 38 amendments, I’ve also signed the proposals from the opposition benches collectively and the set of amendments we presented as a committee,» Gazmuri elaborated. Among the central themes of the amendments presented by the Humanist lawmaker are: Social and territorial-focused reconstruction: strengthening the Emergency Fund for Forest Fires, extending its duration until 2028 and increasing its funding to $1.
2 million, prioritizing housing, productive reactivation, public infrastructure, and psychosocial support, and including Valparaíso and Marga Marga. Environmental checks: requirement to publish sector permits, strict limits on salmon farming «micro-relocation,» and ensuring full citizen participation in the SEIA. «The government seeks speed without transparency; we demand speed with controls and environmental responsibility,» stated Gazmuri.
Limits on compensations: maximum caps and exclusion of compensations for projects with environmental violations. Copyright and housing: international standards for data mining and artificial intelligence, increased controls on VAT exemptions for housing, and safeguards to protect the Municipal Common Fund. Heritage and biodiversity: mandatory schedules for the SBAP and precautionary criteria in sensitive and indigenous areas.
The Humanist lawmaker emphasized that all these amendments aim to prevent the comprehensive reform from becoming a blank check for the executive: «We are facing a hidden structural reform that affects public resources, environmental rights, and municipal financing. The country deserves a serious debate, not a rushed process to impose an ideological agenda without checks,» concluded the legislator. We will continue to provide updates.