In a press conference with the Ministers of Economy and Finance, Energy, Minerals and Agriculture, Giamatti considered that these advantages will provide a social response to the higher prices of products and fuels in the next two months.
The government official referred to the Temporary Subsidy Act for Diesel and Regular Gasoline Consumers, which was passed by Congress yesterday as a national emergency for about $96 million, which covers 75 percent of the country’s total fuel demand.
According to the clauses, a gallon of diesel will receive a subsidy of five quetzals (64 cents on the dollar) and a subsidy of regular gasoline 2.5 quetzals (32 cents on the dollar).
In his opinion, Legislative Decree 20-2022 now aims to support the transport of goods so that the impact of the crisis on the basic basket is minimal.
In this sense, I announce that as of tomorrow the reference prices of gasoline and diesel will be published to inform Guatemalans, who will be able to submit their complaints to the Directorate of Consumer Concern and Assistance and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the bodies responsible for ensuring the implementation of the regulations.
Eight complaints from gas stations that were speculating on prices are ready and today there is a meeting with distributors to inform them that we will persecute all non-compliants, Giamatti confirmed.
He also noted the compensation approved on March 11 for consumers of propane gas at prices ranging from eight to 28 quetzals (from $1.04 to $3.64) depending on the pound weight of different cylinder types (10.20, 25 and 35).
This law gives a continuation of the previous law that covered from November of last year to February of 2022.
Giamatti explained that there is a third initiative to compensate 180,000 small-scale grain and food producers for the increase in the prices of their inputs.
He pointed out that this is the first part of the national plan for soil conservation, which seeks to counter the impact of the global crisis on agricultural production and its risks to food security.
As a fourth alternative, the head of state indicated the expansion of the social tariff for electricity to 100 kilowatts per month from the current 88, for the benefit of 120,000 new homes.
Giamatti insisted that this package of social assistance is temporary and palliative, and expressed his government’s willingness to intervene in other areas when necessary, depending on the development of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and its repercussions on the world and the national economy.
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