“All these measures always aim to defend the MESCP promoted by the Government of President Luis Arce,” said the Minister of Economy and Planning, Marcelo Montenegro, in statements to Prensa Latina.

About Fidel Castro’s definition of Revolution (“changing everything that must be changed”), Montenegro maintained that the actions undertaken are coherent. “As dollars are brought in and imports are substituted, the pockets of the Bolivian, of low- and middle-income people, will be defended,” the minister emphasized.

The agreements reached late in February establish the release of exports with the streamlining of procedures and the immediate delivery of the Tax Refund Certificate, after delivery of foreign currency for exports.

Another measure is the issuance of bonds by the Central Bank of Bolivia in dollars, the auction of diesel to large buyers, and the acceleration of the import of this hydrocarbon for private companies for their consumption.

After the meeting of business leaders with ministers dealing with the economic sphere, it was agreed to promote private investment in the construction of biodiesel plants and the promotion of investments to improve the yields of the agricultural sector. The weight and maximum length allowed in cargo transport vehicles will also be increased, and tax incentives will be established for the purchase of flex and electric vehicles, as well as a band in the charging commissions for transfers and money orders abroad.

According to Montenegro, what the Government is doing is deepening import substitution in a scenario of industrialization because it is allowing the promotion of private investments, for example, in the field of biodiesel. “In this way, imports are replaced, but at the same time it generates production, jobs, income, and foreign currency savings (…) So, we are not generating a change of orientation, but in any case, we are reinforcing the model so that it remains valid,” he stated.

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