MEPs approve amendment to Procurement and Contracts Act to purchase vaccines against Covid-19

The Chamber of Deputies declared urgency and approved in two consecutive sessions the amendment of Law 340-06, on the purchase and contracting of goods, services and works, as it does not envisage the purchase of the vaccine for the prevention of Covid-19.

Alfredo Pachecho, President of the Lower House, indicated that the amendment to the article of the Law on Public Procurement and Contracts, which comes from the executive branch, will be applied only for the rapid purchase of vaccines to prevent Covid-19.

The amendment was tabled by the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, who was accompanied by the Minister of Public Health, Plutarco Arias and Carlos Pimentel, Director of Public Procurement and Contracts.

Also, the deputies from Tuesday’s session declared urgency and approved with modifications in two consecutive sessions the project amending Law no. 46-20, of February 19, 2020, on transparency and equity reassessment.

The legislative thought regarding the author of Senator Faride Raful was released from reading and from being sent to office.

Pacheco informed the Chamber that the initiative had been studied by an ad hoc commission which had made some changes to the original draft.

“It could not be left the same as yesterday, the deadline has expired, the law is non-existent, so we have to make good references, so that the law returns in force and has another 90 days of validity, but this time, for what what is listening to me outside the Chamber, there will be no extension from the National Congress “, said Alfredo Pacheco.

The purpose of this law is to reincorporate the provisions of Law 46-20 of 19 February 2020 on transparency and revaluation of equity and to establish and establish a special transitional tax regime that allows taxpayers to declare, revalue and make the appropriate voluntary and exceptional payment in before the Directorate General of Internal Taxes DGII, in compliance with those goods and rights specified in Article 5 of this law in order to regularize its tax obligations.