In a virtual dialogue, the president referred to a tax reform proposal and an Anti-Corruption Law.
President Lenín Moreno participated in a virtual discussion organized by Ascoa (Americas Society / Council of the Americas) in which he related some aspects from when he came to the Government to what will be pending for his successor.
The president took advantage of the fact that this organization is based in the United States to talk about the good relationship it has with that country.
“At the beginning of my government, I said that we were going to refresh our international relations, starting with the countries with which we have the greatest links. The United States is the country with which we have the highest export-import relationship, ”he said.
To that relationship with the North American Government, he added the agreements reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations System to contribute to the stimulation of the world economy and whose headquarters are in Washington.
At this point he explained that, as part of the commitment to the IMF, a proposal for a tax reform will be left to the next government, which does not necessarily mean raising taxes, but optimizing their collection because there are many people who do not pay them.
He added that as a result of the talks with the IMF, the need for an Anti-Corruption Law was also considered to give peace of mind to competition in the private sector.
“We hope this will be completed as soon as possible and we will send it to Parliament. It has not yet been dealt with, but we are insisting, ”Moreno said after pointing out that the best way to combat corruption is by setting an example.
In his admiration for the United States, he highlighted its scientific, technological and economic development.
“I have relatives and friends who migrated to this country and their stay brought us significant foreign exchange, and upon their return they contributed technological knowledge,” he said.
He highlighted the Galapagos Islands as a natural laboratory that Ecuador has and recalled when, due to his love of quantum mechanics, he made friends with the English scientist Stephen Hawking, whom he visited in Cambridge.
At the local level, Moreno said that he personally believes that the public sector should be dedicated almost exclusively to education, health, security and the protection of the most vulnerable sectors, because the rest should be at the command of the private sector.
During his speech, he also presented the measures adopted to face the health, economic and social crisis derived from the coronavirus.
Regarding the economic reactivation, he mentioned that it has been carried out under the coordination of the Special Operations Committee and that so far it would be at 80%.
“It is important to emphasize that the economic team of Ecuador, which has refinanced the foreign debt, helped free up resources of 10 billion dollars for the next government,” he exclaimed.
In health, he said that when the pandemic arrived, the country was in a critical situation because they did not have savings and he blamed his predecessor for the lack of resources.
An issue that did not go unnoticed and that is important for the capital was the status of the Quito Metro.
The president said that it is ready, but that the issue of operation is still being decided, because the company has not yet been chosen and the rates have not been established.
The interview with Moreno is part of the series Presidents of the Americas that Ascoa has, an entity that according to its website is dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas.
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