[ARCHIVO] We are making firm progress with regard to free education, climate change, responsible pet ownership and more

Higher Education Bill

Free education has become a reality, and progress is being achieved towards meeting President Bachelet’s commitment. The Chamber of Deputies approved an increase in coverage for the next year, to include the 60% most vulnerable students. The bill is currently in the Senate, where it is undergoing its second legislative process.

Responsible Pet Ownership Law

This law is informally known as the “Cholito Law”. It protects the wellbeing of pets and establishes the rights and obligations of those who are responsible for them. The law treats abandonment as abuse for the first time in Chile’s history, and focuses on controlling the animal population. It has created a public register, and promotes education for the general public.

Three Reasons Bill

When women are in extremely difficult circumstances, we want them to be able to choose an abortion. This bill decriminalizes terminating a pregnancy if the mother’s life is in danger, if the life of the fetus cannot be saved, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape.

Its legislative process has made progress over the past few days. The good news is that it is taking us in the direction that we want to go: giving women the right to choose.

The largest photovoltaic plant in the Metropolitan Region

The Quilapilún plant is one of the largest solar parks in Chile and represents a milestone in the development of renewable energy in Chile. The energy it generates is sufficient to supply about 110,000 households.

Electronic VAT Declaration

This innovation within our tax system is similar to the electronic income tax declaration. Taxpayers will be presented with a Form 29 proposal that has been pre-compiled by the Internal Revenue Service, and automatically calculates the monthly VAT that should be declared and paid. This measure will benefit over 500,000 micro-enterprises.

Chile Cares Program

This program has already been implemented in 12 communities in Chile. It provides social care services to dependent senior citizens and supports their families and carers. It was inaugurated in a new community last month: Independencia, in the Metropolitan Region.

Patagonian Parks Network

This route represents the first milestone in the international year of sustainable tourism. The project will protect over 4.5 million hectares, thereby conserving biodiversity in the far south of Chile. The world press has highlighted that this was the largest conservation donation by a private organization to the State, and was the most important expansion in Chilean protected areas over the last 50 years.

First Binational Chile-Peru Cabinet

For the first time in history, a meeting was arranged for the Presidents of these two countries, together with their ministers. They discussed foreign trade, integrating social and cultural affairs, the environment, development and security, among other issues.

Commissioning Line 6 of the Santiago Metro

This line runs between Cerrillos and Providencia and will benefit over one million people. This line is scheduled to be operational in the second half of the year. The metro line includes air conditioning, security cameras, driverless trains, larger carriages, and doors on the platform.

The National Human Rights Plan

This plan is unique in Chile, and identifies the sectorial priorities for policies that focus on respecting, promoting and protecting human rights. The government will work with the public through regional dialogs, where discussions will cover topics a wide range of topics, including some relating to women, indigenous peoples, immigrants, economic, social and cultural rights, and sexual diversity.

Plan to combat Climate Change

The National Climate Change Action Plan will reduce Chile’s exposure to the biggest challenge facing the planet, which affects key sectors, such as energy, infrastructure, transport, agriculture, health, biodiversity, water availability, among others.

Memorial submitted to the International Court of Justice at The Hague

This Memorial describes the Chilean State’s demand against the Plurinational Bolivian State regarding the Silala River. Chile requests that the international character of this river continues to be respected, so that both nations can continue to exercise their right to its equitable use.

The Araucania Recognition and Development Plan

The Araucania Recognition and Development Plan diagnoses and resolves the main problems facing the area, and combines the vision expressed by all the sectors involved. The measures it describes are classified into three central themes. To learn more, click here.

School Inclusion Law

The School Inclusion Law establishes the conditions so that children and teenagers attending schools financed with State subsidies can receive a good quality education. Its foundations include an end to profiting from State-financed education, a progressive move to free education at schools and eliminating the process of selecting students.

Sanna Law

Child Care Insurance (known as SANNA) is an initiative promoted by the Government that enables parents to take medical leave to care for their children when they are seriously ill.

Voters Abroad

Now Chileans living abroad continue to be citizens. Thousands of voters living in various parts of the world participated in the latest primary elections; this was a historical milestone for democracy in Chile.

Employment Inclusion Law

This regulation will become effective no later than December this year. It requires all public and private companies with over 100 employees to appoint people with disabilities to 1% of their positions.

Census 2017

Chile undertook a magnificent civic and country-wide commitment on Wednesday April 19, 2017, which united everyone around a tremendous objective: to participate in the Population and Housing Census and help make Chile a better place to live. To learn about the preliminary results, click here.