The Ministry of Economy and Finance meets this Wednesday with representatives of drug suppliers to define the payment mechanism for the state's debt to the health sector, which already exceeds US$1 billion. The meeting, set for 3 p.m. at the ministry's headquarters in Asunción, follows partial payments of US$100 million in April and US$80 million in May, as agreed in a previous meeting.
Gerardo García, president of the Paraguayan Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Chemical Industry, said the sector hopes to make progress in defining the mechanism for settling the overall balance. According to him, Economy Minister Óscar Lovera asked for time at the last meeting and promised to report on how payments will be processed and the status of the regulation on assignment of collection rights.
Among the points still unresolved are the discount percentage banks will apply to assigned credits and who will bear the financial commissions — suppliers are asking the government to cover these costs. There is also a demand to include, beyond budget line 350 (medicines), essential health service providers such as imaging, dialysis, and services mandated by court order.
Meanwhile, a bill is moving through the Senate that amends Article 279 of Law 7609/25 (General National Budget for 2026), broadening the scope of the assignment of collection rights. The proposal, introduced by Senators Silvio Ovelar, Antonio Barrios, Natalicio Chase, Patrick Kemper, Pedro Díaz Verón, Ignacio Iramain, Esperanza Martínez, and Carlos Liseras, was debated Wednesday morning in the Finance Committee. After lengthy discussion, the committee voted to postpone its opinion for a week, at the request of Colorado Cartista Senator Natalicio Chase.
The bill is listed as item 11 on the Senate's ordinary session agenda this Wednesday, but its consideration will depend on whether the full chamber decides to sit as a committee to issue an opinion. Senators such as Esperanza Martínez, Celeste Amarilla, and Antonio Barrios criticized the postponement, saying it only delays the solution needed to guarantee health services. Martínez questioned Minister Lovera, recalling that the bill moved forward at his request, and now the minister himself expresses doubts about the wording of the fourth and fifth paragraphs of the text.
Minister Lovera, for his part, said the government is making progress with suppliers on regulating the existing mechanism, but that an update is needed to make it more effective. He acknowledged having "some doubts" about the wording of the mentioned paragraphs and called for precision.