Paraguay
Lawmakers anticipate obstacles to IPS emergency bill after Senate changes
The initiative returns to the lower house for a third round and draws criticism from opposition and ruling-party lawmakers alike. Legislators say the text lost its original purpose, centered on the purchase of medicines and supplies.
The bill on the emergency status of the Social Security Institute returns to the Chamber of Deputies for a third round, after the changes introduced by the Senate. According to ABC Color, following a meeting between IPS authorities and advisory committees of the lower house, lawmakers from different blocs expressed objections to the new text and even raised the possibility of rejecting it.
Deputy Rocío Vallejo said the version sent by the Senate completely altered the original proposal and questioned the inclusion of issues related to collections management, assets, deposits and hiring staff without sufficient technical analysis. She also noted, according to ABC Color, that there is an opinion from Asoban calling for the law to be rejected and warning about the need to establish limits on the new financial tools contemplated.
In the opposition, Raúl Benítez said the initiative had originated in Deputies to address the need to supply the IPS with supplies and medicines, but that the amended text set aside that objective. He also stressed that, since this is a third constitutional round, the lower house can only accept or reject the proposal coming from the Senate, with no possibility of introducing changes.
The criticism also reached the ruling party. Deputy Yamil Esgaib said the Chamber of Senators sent a version that was almost entirely different from the one initially approved by Deputies and that this set aside the intention to facilitate the purchase of medicines and infrastructure improvements at the IPS. According to ABC Color, the lawmaker considered it possible that consideration of the bill will be postponed and that the amendments will ultimately be rejected, with the alternative of later submitting a new bill.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
