Original article: “Regalar 3 mil millones a las grandes fortunas”: oposición endurece ofensiva contra plan de reconstrucción de Kast Opposition Intensifies Criticism of Kast’s National Reconstruction Plan, Citing $3 Billion Gift to Wealthy On Wednesday, April 15, José Antonio Kast will formally present the National Reconstruction Plan in a national broadcast, a legislative initiative that will be submitted to Congress featuring over 40 measures, including a reduction of the corporate tax rate from 27% to 23%, the elimination of the capital gains tax, and the reform of the tax system. In this context, opposition deputies have ramped up their offensive against the proposal pushed by the president and his Finance Minister, Jorge Quiroz, warning that it will negatively impact state revenue, effectively «gift $3 billion to the country’s wealthiest«. “Our projections indicate that Chile could stop collecting between $4.
3 billion and $4. 8 billion. For this reason, we urge the government to listen to all political sectors, to refrain from insisting on ineffective measures that do not generate growth and merely aim to protect the wealth of the richest,” argued Socialist Party (PS) deputy César Valenzuela.
Aligning with this sentiment, Deputy Raúl Soto (PPD) labeled both the tax cuts for the wealthy and the reform as a «red line», reminding that this measure is rejected by over 70% of Chileans according to the latest Criteria survey. In his view, it is also “absolutely contradictory” to the narrative of fiscal tightness that Kast’s administration has attempted to establish, particularly against the decision to abolish the MEPCO (Mechanism for Price Stabilization of Fuels), which has caused gasoline prices to surge, transferring “the cost of rising fuel prices to the middle class. ” «Project is unconstitutional» and seeks to «gift $3 billion to the wealthy» The plan Kast will present encompasses five key areas: the physical reconstruction of regions affected by fires, economic reactivation, institutional rebuilding, fiscal order, and security.
In the opinion of Deputy Jorge Brito from the Broad Front (FA), it is inadvisable for reconstruction measures to be fast-tracked alongside tax reform in Congress. The deputy suggested that an ideal approach would be to discuss these issues separately to accurately assess the impact of lowering taxes for the country’s largest corporations. “How is it possible that for the first time in this National Congress, a reconstruction law is being introduced following tragedies like those in Bío Bío and Valparaíso, simultaneously while proposing to decrease revenue and gift $3 billion to the wealthiest in the country?
,” he questioned in statements reported by Diario U. de Chile. He extended a call to the far-right president to “not further aggravate the situation in the country, to avoid arrogance, and to be pragmatic.
” “Governance is primarily about solving issues and if you want to have a law approved in this Congress, we need you to not politically exploit the suffering of the victims in the Bío Bío and Valparaíso Regions,” he asserted. In earlier statements, Brito criticized that “for the first time, a government is trying to finance reconstruction by lowering taxes. ” From the FA, Deputy Jaime Bassa also challenged the handling of a miscellaneous project encompassing various topics.
“Miscellaneous laws are prohibited (…) This bill is unconstitutional, as miscellaneous laws cannot be presented,” stated the constitutional lawyer, explaining to the cited media that each regulation must contain a “central idea” that “defines the entire legislative process, the amendments, and the committees to which the bills go. ” For this reason, he urged Kast’s administration to be “consistent with the current legal framework,” as noted by Radio U. de Chile.
Meanwhile, former presidential candidate and head of the PDG, Franco Parisi, agreed that the reconstruction plan should not be presented to Congress as a miscellaneous law. He conditioned his support on the inclusion of measures benefiting families, such as VAT refunds on medications or the elimination of taxes on essential goods. However, he clarified that deputies have autonomy when it comes to supporting or opposing the project.