translated from Spanish: Currency rules out “gourmet” purchases in Palace amid pandemic

Following the publication of La Segunda on the tendering of gourmet products for the kitchen of La Moneda, the Press Directorate of the Presidency issued a statement to clarify the information.
From La Moneda they stated that the tender in question “responds to requirements for the elaboration of internal menus in the Palacio de La Moneda and to replace services that were historically contracted to external suppliers and that were more expensive. This tender aims to generate necessary savings for the State.”
“This is a framework tender to agree on prices, if required, but there is no obligation of the Palacio de La Moneda to make full use of such resources. In fact, no boar pate, ciliegine cheese, duck mousse, caviar or trout or any sophisticated products have been acquired,” they said.
They added that the main items purchased are “cheeses, tomatoes, ham and butter, mostly intended for the production of cold colations for people working in La Moneda, which replaced the hot dishes that were usually provided in the institutional casino, before the current pandemic. The average spend, in the last 4 months (March – June), was $4,641,253”.
Finally, they noted that “the item contains incorrect information, since the “amount offered” corresponds to the list of unit prices tendered to the company Demercado, but not to what was sued for food services in the Palacio de La Moneda”.

Original source in Spanish