President Santiago Peña has fully vetoed a bill that provided for tax and duty exemptions on the import of specialized vehicles donated to or acquired by volunteer firefighter institutions and firefighters linked to public bodies in Paraguay.
The veto was formalized through Decree No. 6328, which argues that the proposal presents regulatory redundancy, technical-legal defects, and budgetary issues that would render the initiative unviable.
The bill had been approved by the Senate in May, despite opposition from some legislators and a contrary recommendation from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the DNIT, the country's tax and customs authority.
The Executive Branch highlighted that current legislation already offers similar tax exemptions with greater technical precision, while also pointing out ambiguities in the text and the omission of documentary requirements for paid acquisitions.
The decree also mentions that the exemption from customs duties and other fees associated with services actually rendered could compromise the operational sustainability of customs services and the institutional funding of the DNIT.
The bill now returns to Congress, which must decide whether to accept the presidential veto or uphold its original decision.