Mexico daily news, Dec.13

Posted by The Generals on December 20, 2012, 5:53 pm
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Subject: Mexico News DAILY December 13, 2012 Mexico Peña Nieto advances on all fronts Development: On 12 December the three main initiatives promoted by the new Enrique Peña government received backing in congress, paving the way for their quick approval. Significance: Since assuming the presidency on 1 December, Peña Nieto has moved swiftly to capitalise on a newly inked governance pact with the three main political parties, introducing ambitious proposals to reform the federal government and the education sector. He has also submitted a tough draft 2013 budget aimed at preserving macroeconomic stability. Yesterday’s activities in congress augur well for these initiatives, which under normal circumstance would encounter stiff resistance. Key points: • After 12 days of discussion, the senate's plenary finally approved the proposal to re-organise the federal government, perhaps the most contentious of Peña Nieto’s reforms. The ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) failed to prevent the inclusion of minor amendments by the opposition bloc comprising the conservative Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) and the leftist Movimiento Progresista coalition, but nevertheless the approval of the initiative was hailed as a victory for the government by the head of the interior ministry (Segob), Miguel Angel Osorio Chong. • The education reform proposal was approved in general by the chamber of deputies’ constitutional commission in just two days. It now goes before the chamber's plenary for debate. To the surprise of many, the Partido Nueva Alianza (Panal)- which is closely linked to the main teachers’ union (SNTE)- voted in favour of the proposal, making only minor observations. • The chamber of deputies also endorsed the revenue side of the draft budget which calls for a 5.1% general increase in the tax take. The bill proposes to achieve this, among other means, by an increase in the value-added and personal income tax rates; with the amount to be decided by congress.

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