Asunción, Agencia IP.- President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, emphasized his government’s goal to have «a state that helps society progress,» with immediate impact measures, especially in people’s pockets, and medium and long-term structural reforms.
In the debut of a new communication space with citizens, the President was interviewed by spokesperson Paula Carro this Sunday to review his first six months in office.
The President defended his policies to create a Welfare State. «We started public policies thinking, ‘How can we improve the lives of citizens?’ This is through structural reforms and short-term measures that have a quick impact,» he said.
«There is a broad vision in terms of public policies but also a micro vision that seeks how we can solve the well-being of citizens today,» he summarized.
Impact on people’s economy
Peña stated that «inflation fell significantly due to two measures.» One was the decrease in fuel prices, which were reduced four times through the state-owned company Petropar since August of last year. The second measure was the decrease in the cost of domestic gas.
However, there was another measure that allowed an increase in consumption: the frontal combat against smuggling. This «increased the prices of fruits and vegetables, signaling to producers that they should start producing because they will have a better price.»
Medium and long-term measures
On the other hand, regarding structural reforms, the government initiated the restructuring of the State by merging the roles and organic structures of tax and customs dependencies, creating the National Directorate of Tax Revenues (DNIT), as well as the merger of two secretariats and the Ministry of Finance into the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
Another point highlighted by Peña in his first months of administration was the enactment of the law creating the Superintendence of Pensions and Retirement as the body responsible for managing retirement funds after 30 years of discussions.
Future projects
Zero Hunger
The Executive Branch’s main future project, with which it seeks to leave a legacy, is «Zero Hunger.» «One of the most ambitious decisions we have made,» the Head of State emphasized.
He indicated that he hopes the project will be a symbol that unites Paraguayans to eradicate hunger through lunch coverage that reaches over one million students nationwide.
Civil service reform
Peña also referred to the civil service reform project presented to Congress for consideration days ago. With this project, they aim to «take the lessons learned and address the mistakes of the Civil Service Law,» which left «a cascade of unconstitutionality actions,» he said.
The goal is to have a professional public service, with career officials and transparent mechanisms for entry and permanence to avoid «being subject to pressures from their superiors that hinder their careers,» explained the president.
He pointed out that it is about more than just the number of officials within the State; it is about their quality and that public institutions have a professional base that is less susceptible to political changes.
«Public policies should not change with each government. The State should not reinvent itself every five years, which depends on having career officials,» he affirmed.