After weeks of negotiations, Milei has a date to vote on mega-bill to deregulate Argentina

Javier Milei already has a date to vote on his leading legislation, the bill called "Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines." The extensive text contains a long list of economic, tax, energy, penal and electoral reforms, which aim to return the South American country to the ideals of freedom. After weeks of negotiations in Congress, the new president has a date to vote on its implementation.

The libertarian arrived at the Casa Rosada as one of the presidents with the least strength in Congress since the return to democracy in 1983. His party has only 40 of the 257 deputies and eight of the 72 senators, so the executive branch began to forge alliances to achieve legislative successes. In this matter, Milei's trusted man is called Guillermo Francos, who serves as minister of the interior.

Milei called extraordinary sessions of Congress to discuss his mega-bill and, after weeks of debate and negotiations in the different committees, the bill managed to advance to the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies and will be voted on next Tuesday, Jan. 30.

"With the spirit of restoring the economic and social order based on the liberal doctrine embodied in the National Constitution of 1853, we present the attached Bill to the Honorable Congress of the Nation and express our firm will to undertake, immediately and with suitable instruments, the fight against adverse factors that threaten the freedom of Argentines; that prevent the correct functioning of the market economy and are the cause of the impoverishment of the Nation. We promote these reforms in the name of the May Revolution of 1810 and in defense of the life, liberty and property of Argentines," reads the opening text of the law.

The changes in Milei's bill

Given his party's low legislative representation, Milei had to negotiate with other parties to finally be able to advance a version of the proposal that everyone can live with. In this regard, the governors of the different provinces played a strong role in the negotiations with the government, agreeing to the following changes.

First, they negotiated that the executive branch commit to "strict compliance with the provision of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation for the CABA," in relation to money that the government owes to the City of Buenos Aires due to a retention during the Alberto Fernández administration.

In turn, the governors requested that the second paragraph of Article 164 of the bill be modified, with the objective that funds seized from money laundering schemes, which had no specific designation, be redistributed from the federal government to the provinces.

The third point of agreement was the to maintain the Federal Trust Fund for Regional Infrastructure (FFFIR), which aims to financially assist the provinces, the national state and CABA.

Fourthly, the governors, who have great influence in the Senate, demanded to replace article 10 of Law No. 26,075, with the objective that the Federal Council of Education be the one who agrees on the minimum salary for teachers together with the national representation of teaching unions and educational entities.

In turn, they proposed the assets of the FGS of Anses to the National Treasury to facilitate the National Executive Branch to adopt all the necessary measures for their implementation.

Sixth and last, they agreed to eliminate Article 182, which established that debit and credit cards can make tax withholdings from their clients when so provided by the competent national or local tax authorities.