The Uruguayan Real Estate Chamber (CIU) promotes, together with the most representative associations of the sector at the national level, a bill that seeks to formalize and professionalize the sector through the creation of a registry that allows real estate operators to be legally regulated.
To understand this initiative that entered the Parliamentand that it was presented, in the first instance, in July 2022, scope.com spoke with the president of the CIU, Beatriz Carambula.
One by one, the main points of the project
The registry of real estate operators proposed by the project would function under the orbit of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) and would be administered by a Commission made up of members of the Executive power and of the unions in the field, which would have the power to “charge the registration fee, control the work of real estate operators, issue the registration, and sanction if necessary,” said Carámbula.
In turn, a “much necessary” real estate market observatory would be created to provide accurate information, since “the one we have is not very up to date“, according to the president of the CIU.
Those authorized to register in the registry are all those who have a title of real estate operator and are registered in the Social Welfare Bank (BPS), the General Tax Directorate (DGI), the National Secretariat for the Fight against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (senaclaft), as well as before the Ministry of Tourism for those who work in tourist areas.
Also, as explained by Carámbula, to obtain the registration, the project provides for “special consideration” for those who can prove with documentation that they are working in the real estate activity with an antiquity “of one year to date.” After the entry into force of the law, the title of real estate operator will be necessary.
Carámbula maintains that “the project does not go against the owner’s freedom to negotiate“, since “they are free to sell their properties without having to be in a real estate agency” and neither “restricts the freedom of work of those who today carry out the activity irregularly”, but what is sought is that these people ” be regulated and trained” for the protection of the client.
Along these lines, from the head of the CIU he assured that “with this law we all win“, in relation to the fact that “the client will be more protected and better advised”, “the State will win in collection”, and, at the same time, “the demands of the Senaclaft will be met”.
The CIU estimates 60% informality in the sector
From the CIU they affirm that informality currently reaches the 60% in the sector. This percentage increased during the pandemic, since many people linked to the sector “began to act informally,” said Carámbula. Regarding this, he indicated that “Informalism implicitly leads to tax evasion and lack of protection for workers“, something that had an impact on” the image of real estate operators.
This is why the CIU commissioned a study to assess the level of informalism, since “the number of people working informally is striking“, something that “generates more and more problems to work in the sector”. Therefore, the presentation of this concise project of 13 itemsand well received at the legislative level and in the Confederation of Business Chambers Uruguayappears as an alternative in order to solve this problem.
Source: Ambito
