MAY 21, 2015

President Bachelet: “Chile is undergoing one of its most significant transformations ever”

In her second State of the Nation address, President Michelle Bachelet set out the main highlights of her first year in Government and announced important measures in education, health, social development and justice, among others.

Public Address: Download the documents from May 21st (in Spanish)

• The President emphasized “the people of Chile are asking us for more capacities and rights in order to achieve their dreams, because they have worked hard and want a country that is worthy of their efforts.” She added that “together, we have an opportunity to build a better country.”

• “Today there is a general consensus that we urgently need to prevent abuses of influence, conflicts of interest and corruption in politics and business. We need to restore the trust upon which our society is based,” the President stated. She continued, “we are not going to, nor will we, postpone our commitment to reform. We have given our word. We are building solid foundations for the reforms to make them more democratic, open to dialogue, governable and enduring”.

• She outlined measures being implemented in this area, including the Law to regulate Lobbying; the draft bill to regulate the funding of electoral campaigns and political parties; the constitutional reform bill to give autonomy to the Electoral Service; the strengthening of the Senior Public Management System; the draft bill strengthening the Superintendence of Securities and Insurance (SVS); the creation of the Citizens’ Defender; the bills and indications that have been signed to reinstate civic education and provide training on citizenship for schools; and administrative progress on the Transparency and Integrity Agenda for Business and Politics. She stressed that the deadline for sending the outstanding draft bills to Congress will be met.

• The President also stressed that historic reforms have been achieved in this first year, such as the end of the binomial system and giving Chileans living abroad the right to vote.

• Referring to the panorama of economic deceleration that Chile is facing, President Bachelet emphasized that the Government is working to increase Chile’s capacity for growth. The expenditure budget for 2015 will therefore increase by 9.8%, with a strong emphasis on public investment.

• “We have the ethical conviction and the technical basis to ensure that our reforms are positive for an economy aiming to maximize its development opportunities and meet the social need for equality. Chile has progressed because we have done things well,” she said.

• In education, the President announced a draft bill to create Local Education Services this year, bringing public schools back under State management. She also highlighted that in the latter half of this year the Government will present a law for a new regulatory framework for financing free further and higher education. This means that from 2016 onwards, students from the 60% most vulnerable households attending a Technical Training Centre, certified not-for-profit Professional Institute or a member University of the Governing Council, can do so for free, without the need for a scholarship or loan. Estimated to benefit around 240,000 students, these measures represent a significant step toward meeting the Government’s target of free higher education for 70% of the most vulnerable students by the end of our term in office.

• She added that pensioners over 65 years old will no longer have to pay the 5% contributions towards their healthcare cover. This measure will be implemented gradually over a two-year period.

• The President announced a draft bill dealing with differentials in electricity tariffs for residential customers, so that no-one pays over 10% more than the national average tariff.

• President Bachelet stressed that “just as we promised a year ago, the ‘Ricarte Soto’ Law was passed yesterday, allowing many more families to receive financial support towards high-cost medical treatments, special dietary requirements and medical equipment that has been unavailable until now”.

• In terms of Social Development, she announced a bill creating the Disability Under-Secretary and the National Plan for the Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities, which also addresses mental health. Moreover, the National Service for Senior Citizens will be a decentralized institution with a focus on rights. Chile Crece Contigo, a program of support for the families of young children, will be gradually extended to include children from nursery age through to fourth grade.

• In the area of Justice, the President said that during this year the Government will present a new draft bill to update the current Criminal Code, which dates back to 1874. This will align it with international standards on Human Rights. The Government will bring forward bills to guarantee the inalienable and non-pardonable nature of crimes against humanity. In 2015, the bill defining torture in accordance with international commitments will become law.