The IMF has assured that there is an “important agreement” with Guillermo Lasso, president-elect of Ecuador.

The Western Hemisphere Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Alexander Werner, assured this Thursday that there is an “important agreement” with the elected president of Ecuador, the conservative Guillermo Lasso.

Werner explained at a press conference that the Fund “was waiting for the election result” in Ecuador at the same time. its teams are carrying out the second technical review of the $ 6.5 billion loan to the government of the outgoing president of this country, Lenín Moreno.

“When the president-elect’s team is ready to start interacting with our teams, we will clearly begin to exchange views.”, he said of Lasso, who last Sunday became the new president of Ecuador after winning the elections with 52.3% of the vote, compared to Andrés Arauz, the political dolphin of the former leader of the State Rafael Correa.

“They know very well the program that is underway with President Moreno because we have had conversations with all the candidates and also with the team of President-elect Lasso, they have had meetings for many years,” a- he explained.

“There is an important understanding that will allow us to start working on a base.”added.

In September last year, the IMF board approved with the Moreno government a loan for the country to access 6.5 billion dollars to deal with the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Arauz had said that when he came to power he had no intention of complying with the terms agreed between the Fund and Moreno.

The IMF, for its part, published this Thursday a review of regional economic forecasts, which include a 4.6% growth of the Latin American economy in 2021 driven by the recovery of the United States, the acceleration of the rate. vaccination program and the reopening of certain sectors.

During an interview with the channel CNN, Lasso announced that on the first day of his government – May 24 -, will present to Congress a tax reform aimed at boosting the country’s economy.

“The reform will not aim to increase taxes. Completely the opposite. There is a tax on the sales of microentrepreneurs that we must eliminate because there cannot be a tax on income, but on sales “Lasso commented.

In this direction, the brand new head of state will seek to abolish the 2% tax on sales of micro-businesses He also announced that phase out the currency outflow tax, during the four years of his mandate.

Intending to reactivate the tourism sector, movement leader Creando Oportunidades (Creo) said that increase the possibility of VAT being lowered during four public holidays of the year.

“We are not planning to create a tax or increase the current rates,” said Lasso, who also made it clear that he will fight tax evasion: “Don’t tell me you are a businessman from 10 or 20 years and never make money and don’t do it. Pay taxes. “

During the campaign, the president-elect of Ecuador had already promised tax incentives, 1% interest credits and a gradual adjustment of the minimum wage to reach $ 500. He also argued that It will seek to create two million jobs and build 200,000 rural households.

Lasso also promised that he would offer new joint venture contracts with private companies in the petroleum sector to boost crude production and that he would honor contracts already in force today.

Lasso, a conservative who touts free trade, also campaigned on the importance of Ecuador “is part of the Pacific Alliance, as urgently as possible”.

The new president will face an economy hit hard by the pandemic, but with long-standing problems, such as lack of liquidity and debt that grew further during the health crisis caused by the coronavirus. For this he maintained that he will seek “From day one, a free trade agreement with the United States.”

Last year Ecuador recorded a 7.8% drop in its GDP. In addition, it carries a public debt of more than 63,000 million dollars, which represents 63% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

With information from EFE

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