Lectures: 213
“It is a noble measure that is consistent with the support that the government has committed,” said Daniella Cicardini of the PS.
“Undoubtedly today we hope that the government can help us and can move forward with this initiative,” said Daniel Manouchehri, Head of Bank PS, in the company of deputies Jaime Araya (Ind-PPD) and Daniela Serrano (PC).
Faced with the difficult economic scenario faced by households in our country, representatives Daniella Cicardini and Daniel Manouchehri of the PS, together with representatives Karol Cariola and Daniela Serrano of the PC and Jaime Araya of the Bancada PPD, came to La Moneda to request the Segpres Minister, Álvaro Elizalde, and Undersecretary Macarena Lobos, the sponsorship of the projects presented that allow lowering electricity rates for SMEs and the motion that eliminates the winter rate.
Daniella Cicardini, author of this purpose, explained the pillars that were raised in the meeting.
“What we propose are two things. First, that the government can sponsor the projects that we have entered with regard to eliminating the winter rate, but also support for SMEs so that they can effectively lower their electricity bills, because let’s remember that, if they have less production cost, we can in this case also generate a positive consequence for the consumer”.
To the above, the legislator raised her concern about the low temperatures and the high costs that families must go through. “We know that this winter is going to be very cold, obviously that can generate an overcharge in the electricity bills and I believe that, in complex times, in economic terms, inflation can no longer resist any pocket of Chilean households. I think this is a noble measure, which is also consistent with the support that the government has committed to the people who already need it most, also with SMEs, where we have advanced with a pro-SME agenda to be able to accompany them in different processes ”.
In addition, he exemplified that “it happened like this with the minimum wage, and I think this is part of the support that can undoubtedly be well received in this case by microenterprises, which generate so much economic dynamism, generate productivity, generate employment, generate mobility in our country. I also want to be very precise that indeed, of course, we ask the government to sponsor these two bills without prejudice to the fact that administrative measures can also be taken. There were precedents in previous governments, in 2020 the decision was made politically to be able to eliminate the winter rate in the months of April and May and later in the months of August and September of that year 2020 due to a pandemic, a complex, exceptional situation, where measures also had to be taken”.
The head of the Socialist Party bench and co-author of this project, Daniel Manouchehri, pointed out that “winter hits our families hard, a harsh, cold winter is ahead, and we have the responsibility to go to the aid of our people. These two projects are extremely important projects, one that eliminates the winter rate, the other that allows SMEs to lower their electricity rates. Undoubtedly today we hope that the government can help us and can carry out these projects”.
“We have good news in the sense that the government has promised to evaluate the power to advance in these two matters. For us to be able to help people today, we have to go with concrete measures and here we are talking about concrete measures that help millions and millions of Chileans”, he said.
Finally, Deputy Cicardini appreciated the disposition of the Executive in this matter. “Minister Álvaro Elizalde promised to also be able to discuss it with the different ministers, in this case Energy, in the Political Committee, to transmit this to the government to be able to analyze it with its technicians, with its advisers and see if it is viable to take a decision either by decree or through legislation. We are happy, I think it is a very good reception and I hope that this can also reach a very good point”.
It is worth noting the transversal support for the motion, by the deputies Karol Cariola (PC), Nelson Venegas (PS), Daniel Melo (PS), Luis Cuello (PC), Jaime Araya (IND), José Miguel Castro ( RN), Andrés Celis (RN), Yovana Ahumada (IND), Marcela Riquelme (IND) and Daniela Serrano (PC).
