The vice president Beatriz Argimon —president in office before the trip of Luis Lacalle Pou to Rio de Janeiro— closed the last lunch of the Association of Marketing Managers (ADM) and focused his speech on “a government in permanent action” whose model must continue in Uruguay after next year’s elections.
Argimón closed the cycle of traditional ADM lunches for the third consecutive year, accompanied by the ministers Javier Garcia (National defense), Tabare Viera (Tourism), Pablo da Silveira (Education and culture), Juan José Falero (Transportation and Public Works), Elisa Facio (Industry, Energy and Mining), Pablo Mieres (Work and Social Security) and Karina Rando (Public health); the undersecretaries Ignacio Buffa (Livestock, Agriculture and Fishing) and Gerardo Amarilla (Atmosphere); the secretary of the presidency Alvaro Slim and the pro-secretary Rodrigo Ferres.
“This government has a lot to show,” explained the acting president, who also highlighted that “it is a pride to be part of this team” led by Lacalle Pou. Realizing that “these are times of balances”, Argimón pointed out that his exhibition, under the name “A permanent action government”, would focus on “policies that go directly towards people, that on a daily basis change the quality of life of compatriots.”
It was thus that, although he made a small introduction about the economic situation of the country—improvement in jobs and real wages, in the employment and activity rates, and in inflationary control—“key condition in the stability”; He spent most of his time describing specific policies and actions that the current administration took.
“We are witnessing the confirmation of a government model that has to do with a clear commitment to advance the essential transformations for society and understand the country as a whole, respecting local identities,” said Argimón.
Policies that “are not part of the big headlines”
The vice president summarized the “policies that are not part of the big newspaper headlines, but have to do with special issues for many compatriots.” Thus, she highlighted actions such as the network of community pharmacies, tools for MSMEs, early childhood and family support programs, and educational scholarships as examples of the government’s line of work.
According to Argimón, it was about “putting people at the center and not focusing solely on economic transfers,” also allocating the budget to the application and professionalization of the work teams in these policies.
Likewise, he highlighted the million-dollar investment that will be made SBI so that 61 localities in the interior integrate the universalization of sanitation from 2024, reaching 54,000 homes and about 150,000 people.
Another fundamental point in the speech of the acting president was mental health, continuing with the priority line raised by Lacalle Pou during his Accountability speech in March, in Parliament, and ratified with the budget increase of 20 million dollars for the area approved by the legislative chambers within the framework of the Accountability Law.
“I told you that I tried to make few numbers, but what I am going to tell you talking about mental health problems confirms the problem that this government decided to take special consideration,” said Argimón before presenting comparative figures between the second semester of 2019 and the first half of this year: a 103% increase in adult psychiatric consultations; 200% in pediatric psychiatric consultations; 190% psychological assistance; and 230% social work.
“Tell me if this government is not taking care of what has to be taken care of“, expressed the vice president on stage, and in response she received applause from everyone present.
A government that does not measure political costs
Already in the last part of his speech, Argimón made reference to the educational and social security reformstwo pillars of “a government that does not measure political costs” but rather seeks “the best for the country.”
In that sense, he noted that “a educational transformation indispensable for the new challenges of the world”, just as the reform of the pension system was assumed in which all political parties agreed in characterizing it as indispensable in the electoral campaign: “You know how each party behaved, the coalition approved the social security reform“, stated the vice president, and added that “not only were we fulfilling something necessary, but we were effectively leaving the new generations coverage for a better country.”
“We are rooted in a new government modelin a new way of exercising government: a government that bravely faced the new times,” said Argimón, and announced that in a second term “it will take forward the challenges to one or two more steps, because without a doubt “We are going to have that commitment to permanent action in the large and small policies that affect the lives of citizens.”
“For us there are no obstacles if it comes to improving the lives of our compatriots. Therefore, this government model must move forward“concluded the vice president.
Source: Ambito
