The last budget message from Luis Lacalle Pou’s administration already has 85% of the articles approved prior to going to the full Senate.
The Budget Commission integrated with the Senate Treasury approved the bill Accountability for next year, and a reallocation of resources for 25 million dollars which are added to the 20 million dollars allocated to the mental health and addictions prevention and treatment plan. It is the latest budget message with increased spending Luis Lacalle Pou in charge of the presidency of Uruguay.
After a less fierce discussion than the one over the social security reform law – especially within the government coalition, based on the demands of Town meeting-, The Accountability Committee already has the vote of the 85% of your articlesand all that remains is for the additives and substitutes to obtain approval before it goes to the plenary session of the High camera.
The agreement reached not only by the members of the coalition, but by all the members of the Commission, consists of a additional resource reallocation of $25 million over the increase in spending initially contemplated in the project — the original text only considered an increase of 20 million dollars that will be allocated to treatment and prevention initiatives related to mental health and addictions, as Lacalle Pou had announced in his Accountability speech last March.
What will the reassignments be like?
Some of the reallocations included in the $25 million total are 10 million dollars for increase in military salary —the most controversial point that appeared to be of conflict since it was the main claim of Cabildo Abierto and an essential condition for giving their votes for the approval of the project—; 3.7 million per Clinics Hospital; 3.3 million to health; 2 million per Power of attorney; 1.8 million to plans security; 1.2 million to culture; 1.1 million to tourism; and 1 million Court of Accounts.
On the other hand, this reallocation of 25 million dollars can reach 27 million dollars if the 2 million annually from traffic fines towards the Technological University (UTEC).
Regarding military salaries, the increase will be 1,000 pesos for troops between the ranks of soldier and lieutenant colonel. For some, this means an increase of almost 4% of their salary, while for others it is almost 2%. The senators of the ruling party confirmed that “no program is being touched” to pay for the salary improvement, but that the funds correspond to unexecuted items and a lower percentage of General Revenues.
In addition to the provisions that imply an increase in spending, other measures included in the bill that do not represent an expenditure for the State are: the increase in the minimum sentence for the crime of homicide, the possibility of placing electronic anklets on minors, the request of the court for medical history as a precept to grant house arrest, and measures for those who fail to pay alimony, among others.
Source: Ambito
