translated from Spanish: Finance Minister: “Maybe we will keep part of the IFE and put the rest of the resources in subsidies to Chileans who get jobs”

In a conversation with Radio Cooperativa, Finance Minister Rodrigo Cerda referred to social aid, amid the drop in the pandemic figures and the upcoming discussion of a fourth withdrawal of social security funds. Regarding the maintenance of the IFE Universal, the secretary of state said that “maybe we will keep a part of the IFE and put the rest of the resources in subsidies to Chileans who get jobs, but we are evaluating it.” Cerda said he understood as requests, rather than threats, the requests made by parliamentarians, several of them from the ruling party, to extend the IFE Universal to avoid a fourth withdrawal of social security funds and said that, although progress is being made in controlling the pandemic, “if we had a major resurgence, of course the protection network will be there.” Regarding the 20.1% growth of the economy in June, the minister said that the figure allows “to think that in something we can extend the benefits, but also to evaluate whether the recovery will continue forward.” “We are very concerned about delta infections, but we hope that this scenario of fewer cases will be maintained,” the finance minister added. Regarding the price of fuels and the announcement he made about a possible change in the parameters of the Fuel Price Stabilization Mechanism (Mepco), Cerda said that within this week or next, there will be a decision.

Original source in Spanish