Beyond the usual meetings with the candidates that will arise from the internal elections of each of the parties, the Chamber of Commerce and Services of Uruguay decided to “get involved” in the country’s political debate, proposing the signing of a “pact for the homeland” that includes economic and productive aspects, but also security and coexistence.
“We want to call for unity, dialogue and joint work among all Uruguayans, beyond the sectors of activity in which we operate or the political flags. We do it because we are convinced that this is a great differential of the Uruguay, a unique characteristic that we must take care of and enhance, moving away from any type of crack or similar concept that in other places does so much damage,” said the president of the business chamber. Julio Cesar Lestido.
The document has already been delivered to all the political parties that will participate in the elections 2024, with the request that the pre-candidates evaluate it and sign it if they consider it appropriate. “We deliver it to the political parties and not to the pre-candidates directly, because we understand that this must be a Political compromise and not electoral,” Lestido clarified.
In general terms, the document talks about strengthening democracy and democratic dialogue, strengthening institutions and especially some areas such as security, combating organized crime and drug trafficking, bet on education and reduce tax burden in other aspects.
“We emphasize the importance of a proportional Legislative Power and an independent and technical Justice along with the reduction of poverty and marginality, especially focused on children,” Lestido put as priorities in dialogue with Ambit and added: “Also the modernization of the state to better serve society, with a subsidiary approach, control the tax burden and public spending, with a long-term policy.”
The importance of work and the environment
That includes, according to the business spokesperson, “addressing the job as a modern perspective that promotes understanding and reviews existing labor structures, promoting an open economy, limiting protection measures and subsidies to necessary cases,” he pointed out.
The document also talks about aspects of coexistence such as “addressing gender gaps and inclusion in productive sectors, including affirmative actions and prevention of violence.” Finally, it calls for “treating the environmental issue with comprehensive conservation policies, climate change mitigation and transition towards a green economy”.
The debate over the tone of the campaign
The president of the Chamber of Commerce He reported that the document has already been delivered to all political parties, so that they can then send it to the candidates that emerge from the next internal elections, with whom the union will seek to meet after June.
With this approach we seek to influence not only the contents, but also the the tone of the campaign. “When we enter into an electoral campaign we can sometimes fall into grievance, into personal grievance. So what we are asking for is dialogue, that we not forget the characteristic of what we are, which is a capital of the Uruguay and we understand that that is why we call for a kind of agreement between everyone and that we do not enter that type of field that we do not like,” Lestido expressed.
Security, productivity and lower taxes
Another aspect where agreement is sought is what is linked to the security and especially organized crime. “The issue of drug trafficking especially damages our society in a very strong and profound way. It affects young people and it affects the entire society. As a chamber and as part of this society, we see the problems and we want to get involved with the problems to be able to find solutions,” the spokesperson reflected.
Asked why there are no references to the debate already underway on the possible reduction of the workday, Lestido considered that this analysis will be done separately. “For us to touch on the topic of productivity To be able to talk for 6 hours is essential. It must be clear that productivity is a complex issue to analyze, to decide. It cannot be measured by sector, it must be analyzed by company. Within the same sector there are companies of different sizes where productivity is evidently not the same,” he clarified.
“There are issues that have to do with commercial activity, such as, for example, lower taxes, As a more open economy may be, everyone is affected. When we talk about education, we are saying we want to prepare the young people of the future so that they can develop and compete in a work environment that is going to be very competitive, but that is going to have an impact on companies and commerce,” Lestido concluded. .
Source: Ambito
