The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mario Ponce, said that the draft budget presented by the Government “was set up not to be approved, and if it was done, the Chamber would have declared it unconstitutional.”
the President of the Legislative Assembly, Mario Ponce he said in a television interview that the Executive set a trap for MPs with the draft budget because by approving it as it was raised it was unconstitutional.
By not approving it, MPs would also have problems, as they would be blamed for not giving funds for the Education and Health ranks in addition to other commitments such as that of veterans.
He added that MPs were willing to approve the budget before the end of the year and that they had not gone on holiday as the government advertising Spotify says.
“This government has these characteristics, the characteristics of misinforming the population, there the population if it falls into this error of believing them, the truth is that the Assembly was open, was willing to session December 25, if possible 26, and if possible Dec. 31, ”Ponce said.
He noted that one of the unconstitutionalities of the budget was that it did not contemplate the 6% that by law corresponds to the Judicial Body to which it needed $ 51 million, and also emphasized that it did not go the Fucks by the municipalities, something that is not a gift for the mayors but it is an obligation of law.
Read also: Bukele will sanction only part of the decrees approved by the Assembly for the 2021 Budget
“The budget as it was structured was unconstitutional, it did not sell the sum of the Fodes, and is that this of the mayors is not a gift of this Executive or any Executive of the future or the past, the Fodes is constitutional” , argued Ponce.
He clarified that the deputies in the country are alert to any emergency and that for this reason he left open the ordinary plenary 144 for any call.
He also said that they should see what actions President Nayib Bukele will take regarding the 11 decrees he received, whether they will be sanctioned, vetoed or with observations to study the actions to be taken by the Assembly.
Ponce noted that the draft budget for 2021 also aimed to make invisible non-governmental organizations that should be funded by the state, as they carry out works of benefit for vulnerable groups in society such as the Help Me to Live Foundation which deals with children with cancer and the Father Arrupe Foundation or the Cancer Institute, among other organizations.
They don’t go over $ 300 for mayoralties
Legislative Assembly Speaker Mario Ponce also clarified that there is no additional $ 366 million in the budget for municipalities, as the government says in the TV commercial.
He said that it is a lie that so many funds go to the mayors, but that the municipalities do need funds for social works aimed at preventing violence, as well as for the construction of recreational spaces to reduce crime in populated areas.
“It’s just that you don’t have to teach them the stick when the crime level is rising, in certain population areas, you have to build sports venues to go to the prevention part, for the kids to go to the clutches of crime.” , said Ponce.
In addition: Assembly approves 2021 budget with minimum pension increase to $ 304 monthly
The presidency of the Assembly is not to be enriched
The President of the Assembly also maintained that he has carried out a management in front of the Salvadoran parliament honestly, as this position is not to be enriched.
He found an Assembly that was renting premises in high-value areas for $ 840,000 to more than 60 employees who were illegally hired, under the management of Deputy Guillermo Gallegos, of WIN when he to be president of the Legislative Assembly.
“The power we have is to approve the budget with decreases,” Zelaya noted in the Front Front interview.
Executive proposal was “unfeasible”
Ponce’s statements come after on December 24, in the early hours of the morning, lawmakers approved the draft 2021 Budget with some reallocations that will reduce spending, target unfunded items and reduce the budget gap.
“Health, Safety and Education were not touched,” Ponce added on Monday.
“My term at the helm of the Legislature has met with the approval of 2020, which was complicated, and with that of 2021, which was set up not to be approved, and if it was done, the Chamber would have declared unconstitutional, “he said.
Of the $ 1,342.2 million provided for in the draft budget presented by the Government, MPs reduced the budget gap to $ 159 million. Within the approved project the deputies also established to prohibit in 2021 the places ad honorem. It also includes one pension increase from $ 204 to $ 304 monthly.
For analysts and politicians, the Executive’s proposal was not viable, as it took into account an income that the Treasury will not receive due to the recession in which it entered the country following the closure of the economy by the quarantine of the Covid-19.
The National Development Foundation (Fon) noted that the Government’s estimate of the tax revenue it will have in 2021 it was unrealistic and he observed and that this one contemplated an overestimation in the collection between $ 647 million and $ 714.1 million, when the economy is in recession.
Bukele for his part has warned that he will sanction only part of the decrees passed and veto others that contain readjustments of items. The president of the republic made the announcement via social media on Sunday. He announced that he will endorse the increase in pensions, proposed through an agreement between the parties SORRA, FMLN and PDC.