Uruguayan president elect captivates audience ( Highlights )
12/02/2010
Uruguayan president elect Jose Mujica promised to the business elite of the River Plate economic stability, standing rules of the game, low taxes, incentives and reduced risks in exchange for productive investments in the country’s economy.
Mujica and his Vice president Danilo Astori were the only speakers at a lunch in the Atlantic resort of Punta del Este organized by the Argentine-Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce which attracted over 1.600 business people, (and some rich and famous) interested in hearing first hand the economic ideas of the former guerrilla leader turned politician and who was elected last November as Uruguay’s next president and will be taking office March first.
”We need investments, because we need more and better jobs. And that has a previous condition: clear and tangible rules of the game which respond to an objective analysis that promotes the right atmosphere for investments” underlined Mujica.
“Being an investor means having work and risk capacities and we need people who want to bet in Uruguay, not to gamble, to bet in the future. The duty of the government is to lessen as much as possible risk margins and ensure stability”, said the veteran politician, who also pointed out that “economists and accountants like to draw nice numbers, equations and results, but it is us the politicians, the much questioned politicians who have to stand up to the people and explain”.
He ended saying that Uruguay is by far the country most integrated and liveable of Latinamerica “we are inviting you to invest in the country, a reliable country, a stable country which honours contracts and commitments and understands that investors contribute and must be encouraged and looked after”.
The overwhelming opinion of the participants of the event was praise for both speeches and the country’s solid political system which has ensured continuity in economic policies for almost the last three decades.
“A new government is taking office and there was the need to let the business community and the world know of Uruguay’s solid democratic values, respect for the rule of the law, independent judiciary branch and that both government and the opposition follow the same objectives”, said Juan Carlos Lopez Mena, president of the chamber which organized the event.
“Something like this, like what we have experienced is entirely unthinkable in Argentina; let’s hope some day we learn from our Uruguayan neighbours”, said Cristiano Rattazzi, CEO of Fiat Argentina. “I am envious, in the good sense of the word of the Uruguayans and their political system”.
by MercoPress