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In a session chaired by the Provisional President and Senator for the San Cristóbal department, Felipe Michlig, the Senate of the Province of Santa Fe gave partial sanction to the bill that aims to empower Santa Fe municipalities and communes to, exceptionally for the year 2024, allocate up to 50 percent of the income from the Fund for the Construction of Works and Acquisition of Equipment and Vehicles, created by Law 12,385, to be applied to current expenses.
The initiative, which was supported by 19 senators, is already a classic in the Santa Fe Legislature. Now it will be up to the Deputies to follow the same direction and approve the law, which is ruled out.
On the other hand, within the Preferences, a bill presented by Rubén Pirola (Las Colonias) was also approved, by which articles 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Law 12.256 – Cattle rustling, Rural Coordination and Security Program are modified; and a bill promoted by Armando Traferri (San Lorenzo) by which the jurisdictional limits of the districts of Puerto General San Martín and Aldao, department of San Lorenzo are modified.
In addition, a bill promoted by Traferri that was discussed on the table was partially approved, so that the Pledge of Loyalty to the Argentine Flag, which is taken by 4th grade students of primary level of the different schools of the Province, can be taken from 2025 by a veteran of the Malvinas War, or by a group of them.
On the other hand, a private petition was submitted by the Judicial Workers Union requesting to integrate the Commission for the Reform of the Pension System – Law 14,268. File No. 51,197 was referred to the Labor Legislation Commission.
EMERGENCY IN THE PROVISION OF WATER SERVICE
On the other hand, the Chamber of Deputies approved the law that declares until December 31 of this year "a state of emergency for the provision of public service of drinking water, drainage and sanitation by Aguas Santafesinas SA in the province of Santa Fe."
The initiative, promoted by the Executive Branch of the Province, is based on the need to "urgently address the serious deficit situation that Aguas Santafesinas SA is experiencing in order to promote the preservation of the environmental, social and economic-financial sustainability of the provision of the service, ensuring its continuity, regularity, generality and obligation."
It also states that the emergency can be extended by the Executive Branch through a decree for one more year, that is, until December 31, 2025.
After an intense debate between the ruling party and the opposition, the vote showed 28 votes in favor from the ruling party Unidos para Cambio Santa Fe, 18 against (PJ, Somos Vida, Frente Amplio por la Soberanía) and one abstention from the deputy from Rafaela, Juan Argañaraz (Inspirar).
The law establishes that during the emergency period the Executive Branch “may develop specific definitions, set the values, prices, charges and tariff components in the different service modalities and user categories, the subsidy regime, the application of new alternatives that tend to cover operating costs and any other distinction or categorization that is considered fair, reasonable and timely.”
During the debate, Carlos del Frade (Broad Front for Sovereignty) said that it was clear that the provincial government was suffering a defeat because “nobody wanted to support the project” that delegates powers to the Executive Branch. He also recalled that access to water is a universal right, so “how is the deficit counted then?” the legislator asked, according to the website mginformación.com.ar.
Radical deputy Dionisio Scarpín (Unidos) said that "political costs must be assumed today to guarantee the cleanup of the Aguas Santafesinas company and to reverse its current situation."
Meanwhile, Peronist deputies Marcos Corach and Lucila Deponti offered arguments to oppose the initiative. In the first case, he mentioned that the government is beginning to use its majorities to impose laws and considered that the emergency is “hasty and without consultation” and imposes, for example, a 3958% increase in water in bulk. “The declaration of emergency only talks about rates and seizing the co-participation of municipalities to pay for water,” said Corach from Rafaela.
The law also states that before the end of the emergency, "the Executive Branch must prepare a proposal for a new regulatory framework for the public service of drinking water, sewage and sanitation, which must be submitted to the Legislature of the Province of Santa Fe for consideration." |
