Paraguay
They Present in the Chamber of Deputies a Bill to Repeal Honorary Pensions in Paraguay
The initiative proposes immediately annulling the current system and voiding active allocations. Its backers argue the scheme has been distorted and encourages discretionary practices.
A bill was introduced in the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay with the aim of eliminating the so-called honorary pensions. According to RCC, the proposal seeks to immediately repeal the current regulation and, if enacted, automatically void the 279 active pensions.
The initiative bears the signatures of Miguel Del Puerto, leader of the Honor Colorado caucus, along with Rocío Vallejo, of Partido Patria Querida, and Raúl Benítez, independent. The promoters argue that this benefit drifted from its original purpose and came to function as a tool of cronyism, clientelism and political favors, according to that outlet.
RCC noted that, based on the List of Active Non-Contributory Pensioners published on the Financial Reports Portal of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the system entails a monthly outlay of G. 390,566,211 and an annual impact of G. 4,686,794,532. The individual allocations, it added, range from G. 400,000 to G. 3,000,000 per month.
The lawmakers argue that the scheme creates inequality compared with other people in vulnerable situations who do not have political ties. In that sense, they stress that while a small group gains access to these allocations, many older adults must go through the requirements of the corresponding pension law and receive lower amounts.
Among the precedents mentioned is the recent request for Felicita Arrúa, mother of Rodrigo Quintana, the activist killed by police in 2017. Even so, according to RCC, the bill has only just begun its administrative process in the Chamber of Deputies, after being introduced last Tuesday, and still has no date for debate in the full chamber. The outlet added that Del Puerto’s signature does not by itself guarantee firm backing from Honor Colorado, although the position of that bloc will be decisive for the future of the initiative.
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.
