When and how would the food emergency be enforced if approved by the Senate

At a special meeting, MPs approved the bill to implement the food emergency. If the senators approve it without change, the initiative it would require the state between $ 4,000 and $ 10 million until the end of the year.

This was calculated by Congressional Budget Office (OPC) on the basis of the draft law drawn up by the opposition and adopted by 222 votes against and one abstention. Article 4 provides foran urgent increase of at least 50% of the current budget line items of the current year corresponding to national public policies on food and nutrition ".

According to the OPC, the half sanction project does not say how to finance food security or how much it would cost if it had Senate approval, but said: "If the increase is calculated on the credits in effect as of August 31 of the identified programs, the cost would be $ 10,489 million and, if it is based on outstanding credit balances, it would reach $ 4,061 million. "

Bill 4259-D-2019, which will enter the Senate, considering the extension until 31 December 2022 of the national law on food emergencies provided by the decree of necessity and urgency 108/2002 signed by the president of the time, Eduardo Duhalde.

The government and the opposition believe that the project will ultimately not be approved in the upper house. In this case, as stipulated in Article 2, "it is the responsibility of the national State to guarantee permanently and on a priority basis the right to food and to the food security and nutritional security of the country. the population of Argentina ".

Members also approved Article 6: "The national executive power is empowered to provide for extensions and budget restructuring as well as administrative decisions leading to an effective approach to the food and nutrition emergency. can not be carried out with the reduction of appropriations corresponding to the purpose of the social services ".

The member of the Renovating Front, Marco Lavagna, proposed in the vote, including by article, the creation of an index of food insecurity, the creation of a geo-referenced map on the problem and the opening of school canteens seven days a week. The ruling party member, the rapporteur, Luciano Laspina, refused to incorporate these changes into the ultimately approved draft.

The government had already increased its resources to contain the most vulnerable sectors. In the first eight months of the year, it strengthened food policy items by $ 5,560.6 million, an increase of 36.1%. As of August 31, the executive had allocated $ 20,977 million. From now on, if the Senate approves it, it will have an additional $ 10,000 million.