The initiative will finance access to drinking water for 500,000 vulnerable people in the metropolitan area, for US$12 million per month.
He Parliament passed the law creating the Water Emergency Fundwhich will seek to “deal with an extraordinary emergency” initiated by the extreme water crisis that affects the metropolitan area of Uruguay, in a context of a strong and prolonged drought.
The project was ratified as a serious and urgent in the morning in the Senate and in the afternoon they did the same in the House of Representatives, counting in both cases with the unanimity of the legislators present. There was criticism from the Broad Front for considering that the responses were late and insufficient and the Senator Alejandro Sanchez questioned that “there is not a Expenditure projection by the government.”
In turn, the nationalist senator sebastian da silva considered that it is a key element for transparency. “The current expenses of the State will be separated from the extraordinary ones, having greater discretion to face unknown elements that may come from continuing the drought,” he analyzed.
Regarding the solution to the water emergency, he clarified: “When nature gets infatuated, only nature can fix it.” In any case, he valued the Water Emergency Fund as “a framework to face the consequences of the drought with greater agility and transparency.”
Arbeleche announced the Fund to face the water crisis
The initiative was announced by the Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF), Azucena Arbeleche, last week; and it is a tool through which 12 million dollars a month will be made available to ensure access to two liters of bottled water for more than 500,000 people in a situation of vulnerability when you run out of drinking water Montevideo, Cannelloni and Saint Joseph.
“All expenses related to this situation of water crisis will be made through the fund,” Arbeleche said at the time. The universe reached includes 420,000 beneficiaries of the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) and extends to children under two years of age and pregnant women who receive family allowances through the Equity Plan. The money items for bottled water will also be received by users of the Uruguay Social Card (TUS) who are not included in the allowances, and older people in the metropolitan area who receive old-age assistance.
Also, since yesterday, 90,000 retirees and pensioners who receive minimal inactivity began to charge 850 pesos a month to guarantee access to two liters of water per day.
Source: Ambito
