Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Monday 27 March 2017
To Promote Growth and Equality:

Authorities Call for the Maintenance of Fiscal Responsibility

-Officials attending an tomorrow, Friday 24 March. population and better em-
ECLAC seminar acknowl- Organized by ECLAC, the ployment opportunities,”
edged that the current meeting is also supported she said.
complex economic and by the International Mon- In turn, the Ambassador
political context requires etary Fund (IMF), the Inter- of the Federal Repub-
greater efficiency and American Development lic of Germany in Chile,
transparency in govern- Bank (IDB) and the Organi- Rolf Schulze, said that co-
ment spending. zation for Economic Coop- operation is essential for
eration and Development strengthening fiscal poli-
CHILE - Vice-presidents, (OECD), with sponsorship cies and institutions in the
ministers and vice-ministers from the Spanish Interna- region, while tax incentives
of finance from several tional Development Co- could accelerate reforms
Latin American and Carib- operation Agency (AECID) in the private sector to help
bean countries attending and the Norwegian Minis- reach the targets set. “Fis-
a seminar at ECLAC head- try of Foreign Affairs. cal policy is one of the key
quarters in Santiago, Chile, Vice-presidents, ministers and vice-ministers of finance from The event, which has elements in attaining the
today called for fiscal re- several Latin American and Caribbean countries attend a semi- evolved into a reference 2030 Agenda. It is an ef-
sponsibility to be main- nar at #ECLACheadquarters in Santiago, Chile, calling for fiscal point in fiscal discussions for fective tool for supporting
tained in order to promote responsibility to be maintained in order to promote growth and authorities, policymakers, sustainable development
equality, particularly in light of the current complex economic
growth and equality, par- and political context. economists and academ- processes and economic
ticularly in light of the cur- (ECLAC Photo) ics from across Latin Amer- transformation in order to
rent complex economic ica and the Caribbean, help bring about more eq-
and political context. ternational experts were Regional Seminar on Fiscal was inaugurated by Alicia uitable societies,” he said.
The officials and other in-
attending the Twenty-ninth Policy, which is to run until Bárcena, Executive Secre- Alejandro Micco, Chile’s
tary of ECLAC, Beate Stirø, Undersecretary of Finance,
Ambassador of the King- stressed that fiscal respon-
dom of Norway to Chile, sibility was not a trivial mat-
Rolf Schulze, Ambassador ter, but rather something
of the Federal Republic that had to be preserved
of Germany to Chile, and to ensure greater well-
Alejandro Micco, Chile’s being for the population.
Undersecretary of Finance. “Countries that are more
“In addition to the com- fiscally responsible enjoy
plex external scenario, the greater long-term progress
region is facing such struc- and a better quality of life
tural problems as falling for their citizens. We must
public and private invest- maintain fiscal discipline
ment, stagnated produc- and efficient and transpar-
tivity, persistent inequality, ent tax systems to prevent
low tax revenues and the evasion and avoidance,”
poverty that still affects he said. The first day of
175 million people in Latin the Twenty-ninth Regional
America and the Caribbe- Seminar on Fiscal Policy in-
an,” said Alicia Bárcena. cluded a high-level panel
“The challenge of returning session on the challenges
to a path of more acceler- of fiscal policy in the pre-
ated growth and address- vailing national, regional
ing the current circum- and global circumstances.
stances brings pressure to Addresses were given by
bear on national fiscal poli- Alejandro Micco; Helio Fal-
cies. Along with increased las, First Vice-President and
household spending and Minister of Finance of Cos-
private investment, pub- ta Rica; Wilfredo Cerrato,
lic investment and social Minister of Finance of Hon-
protection policies must be duras; Luis Arce, Minister of
bolstered,” she added. the Economy and Public
The Ambassador of the Finance of Bolivia; Sebas-
Kingdom of Norway in tián Galiani, Vice-Minister
Chile, Beate Stirø, under- and Secretary for Eco-
scored the importance of nomic Policy at the Ministry
investing in education to of Finance of Argentina;
reach all sectors of society. Pedro Jucá Maciel, Under-
“The 2030 Agenda and its secretary of the National
Sustainable Development Treasury at Brazil’s Ministry
Goals (SDGs) define the of Finance; and Pablo Fer-
road map for the future we reri, Undersecretary for the
want. Meeting its targets Economy and Finance of
requires a well-educated Uruguay. q