The Chamber advances in the approval of the tax reform
In the first two blocks they approved 56.5% of the proposal and new changes are expected in future debates
The Colombian House of Representatives cited extra sessions until December 20 to discuss the tax reform that, after a first block of 81 articles, only the chapters that had no objection had been given consent and subsequently approved by 5 proposals more endorsed by the government.
Although promoting tax reform in Congress is not an easy task for governments, this time it has been more complex. The protests promoted in social networks due to the low popularity of the Colombian government as well as the positions taken by the different banks, to partially support the content of the reform in some cases or not to support the proposal in others, have led this project faces a difficult time.
From that perspective, they have proposed that the reform “be voted openly”. The intention is to present propositions on different topics. The intention apart from providing solutions for the benefit of the community is to eradicate the measures provided for in the current reform that “does not generate jobs, maintains inequality and is made to favor the most affluent.”
According to the position of some congressmen of the House like Katherine Miranda, of the Green party, in opposition to the Government, it is expected that in the next few days strong changes in the reform will emerge, as noted by the political leader who states: “We will not marginalize ourselves from the discussion”, and consequently, they will propose 70 new articles and ask for the elimination of others.
For the representative Leon Fredy Muñoz, among the articles that should come out of the reform, because they are highly harmful, there is 81 that refers to the deduction of taxes other than income and other taxes, such as 4 × 1,000. In its “blacklist” is also included article 86, which proposes a progressive decrease in corporate rental rates and article 89 that raises a VAT deduction for investment in capital goods, with which they are “giving away” 10 billion pesos to the wealthiest.
K.Villarroel
Source: eltiempo
