Paraguay’s Chamber of Senators approved, in a session held Wednesday, the partial passage of a bill authorizing the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to pay late-payment interest owed to companies in the road construction sector. The matter now goes to the Chamber of Deputies for review.
The bill, which was the tenth item on the agenda, was taken up early at the request of the chair of the Finance Committee, Senator Silvio Ovelar, who introduced a preference motion. After the motion passed, the full Senate constituted itself as a committee to issue the corresponding report on the text authorizing the MEF to make payments related to infrastructure works certificates.
The senators returned to the floor to vote on the proposal, approving it in general and in particular with amendments. The text will now be sent to the Chamber of Deputies for consideration.
Economy and Finance Minister Óscar Lovera said a short-term payment plan worth US$150 million had been agreed, to be disbursed between April and May. “In April we completed US$85 million in payments to this sector, and this month the remaining US$65 million is scheduled to reach the US$150 million promised,” Lovera stated in an interview with GEN and Universo 970 AM/Nación Media.