During the last day of the Senate Constitution Committee, PPD Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber explained that he ruled out presenting the indication to the bill that seeks to allow the withdrawal of 10% of the Chileans’ planned funds to address the difficult economic situation in the wake of the pandemic, assuming that there was no political floor for it.
Lagos Weber acknowledged that along with approving the 10% withdrawal, “I proposed introducing some degree of taxation to those high-sector incomes, over six million pesos of monthly salary, i.e. incomes of 72 to 74 million pesos per year and who plan to opt for withdrawal of funds. That’s because some of us believe in tax justice and progressiveness.”
However, “for such an initiative, political flooring is required and talking to some colleagues, it was clear to me that it is not shared, so I ruled out doing so,” he said of this proposal that generated confusion and noise, including “threats” via social media, as the Senate denounced.
Lagos Weber also insisted that the Executive must make a greater commitment to this initiative, which is voted in Sala on Wednesday. “I believe that what is responsible for a government is to assume the reality that this is a project that will clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel (…) This project will be approved, and the Government is required to be present to give it a minimum degree of driving,” he added.
