Transport Compensation Fund: without opposition agreement, the decision in the House of Representatives is postponed

Fernando Brovelli Report.-

Without definitions on the projects that are circulating, it is postponed in Deputies the initiative of the Federal Network of Mayors to create a Compensation Fund for Interior Transportwhich seeks to establish by law criteria for the distribution of fuel tax revenues to avoid executive discretion.

Last week, the Transport Commission of the Lower House called for a recess to finalize a ruling. Until then, there were two projects. One from the ruling party, whose allies within the space are legislators from the PRO and a sector of radicalismwho maintain the need to establish a subsidy for passengers but reiterate the “prevalence of public spending and fiscal responsibility” – as stated by the Santa Fe woman on Tuesday Germana Figueroa Casas (PRO)-. The other, which replicates the proposal of mayors from different political parties, has the support of Federal Meeting and Union for the Homeland.

However, this Tuesday another project was announced: the one from Jujuy Jorge Rizzotti (UCR) and the porteño Maximilian Ferraro (Civic Coalition), which in addition to the proposal to subsidize the demand, adds the request for Special regimes for students, self-employed workers of category A and B and people who earn less than a sum equivalent to two Minimum, Vital and Mobile Salaries (set in September at $268,056). When asked by Ámbito, Rizzotti expressed doubts that his initiative could obtain support from other opposition blocs.

It was in the framework of this presentation and the request of the ruling party and its allies that the president of the Transport Commissionthe mendocina Pamela Verasay (UCR)requested a period of 24 hours to complete the presentation of projects in order to then convene a plenary session where the Budget and Finance Committee and the viability of the opinions is analyzed. The general consensus would point to the need for a equitable and federal distribution of subsidies and to promote the use of public transport to replace private vehicles.

Compensation Fund for Inland Transport: the proposal of the mayors

The initiative of the Compensation Fund for Public Transportation of Passengers by Urban and Suburban Motor Vehicles in the Interior of the Country has two main points: democratizing with a federal perspective the methodology of distribution of the funds received from the fuel tax with a criterion that considers the kilometers covered by the bus network of each district and establishing a system of SUBE subsidies -that is, to passengers-, which replace the current contributions to transport companies.

The proposal also specifies the destination of the funds, once they are transferred back to the provinces: “Offsetting cost increases incurred by public passenger service companies” and “Purchase and renewal of the vehicle fleet“. In detail, the priorities that will be allocated to the transfer of subsidies to the districts are recognized, among which contributions to the Social Security System (28.69%), FONAVI (15.07%), the Transportation Compensation Fund (14.29%) and the Transportation Infrastructure Trust (14.29%) stand out.

The project was presented on June 4 in the National Congress by 22 mayors from 18 different provinces and referenced with different partieswho met at the headquarters of the national Legislative Branch to request the reinstatement of the validity of the sending of subsidies to cover the cost of the bus service in the country’s municipalities.

Deputies also debate law for SMEs

This Tuesday the meeting also took place Small and Medium Enterprises Commissionwhich was preparing to have a prompt definition of the declaration of emergency for the sector, but changes in the members of the commission and the incorporation of new initiatives delayed the signing of opinions.

Monica Fein

Mónica Fein, head of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Committee.

Deputies

Among the proposals is the creation of the One-Stop Shop for SMEs (VUPyME) within the orbit of the Ministry of Economy, to centralize the entry point of the procedures; ; the creation of the Incentive scheme for micro, small and medium-sized enterpriseswhich involves a plan for tariff and tax facilities; and a reform that allows first-degree cooperatives to obtain the certificate MSMEs.

“There is a modernization process that we must undertake in order to alleviate the costs that companies have and thus be able to generate incentives for them to continue working,” said the president of the commission, the Santa Fe native. Monica Fein (Federal Meeting)who in general terms shared the position with the representatives of Union for the Homeland and the Civic Coalition. In contrast, the referents of the UCR and PRO aligned themselves with the ruling party’s position: They are asking for more time for debate to convene the Production Ministers of each province and not involve the fiscal balance of the Executive Branch.