Colombia’s finance minister promised Congress on Tuesday he would look into the possibility of implementing a universal basic emergency income in response to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus.
In a virtual session, Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla gave in to the congressional majority that has been asking for a basic emergency income (BEI) while the country is struggling to reactivate the economy that was all but shut down in March.
Colombia considering guaranteed minimum income as famine looms
The proposal is supported by the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, which has urged countries to consider audacious measures to prevent extreme poverty.
Carrasquilla has slowly been moving towards the Congress’s position after initially dismissing the proposal that would cost approximately $10.4 billion (COP40.5 trillion), which is 4% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to Congress’ calculations.
The minister told the House of Representatives he was not considering the BEI as an emergency measure during the ongoing national emergency, but said a universal basic income (UBI) could be “a next step.”
Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla
Despite Carrasquilla’s step forward, Green Alliance Senator Ivan Marulanda told Spanish newspaper El Pais that a universal basic income is not the emergency measure more than 54 congressmen and influential politicians from both the liberal and the conservative side of the spectrum have been asking for.
Senator Ivan Marulanda
Congress and influential liberal and conservative politicians have become increasingly critical of Carrasquilla and President Ivan Duque over their response to the crisis that cost 5.4 million Colombians their job in April alone.
Liberal Party mogul Humberto de la Calle
Conservative Party mogul Alvaro Leyva
The situation could become more worrisome on September 1 when a ban on evictions of people who have been unable to pay rent comes to an end.
Duque, however, has refused to acknowledge the potential unrest the economic crisis and poverty could cause, but has been stressing the benefit of his response to the coronavirus.
In his daily Facebook show on Tuesday, for example, the president stressed his emergency response program provided stipends to 2,4 million Colombians, not even half of the people who lost their jobs.