Major companies announce 4 commitments to Chile, call on Constituent Assembly to act responsibly

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During the National Meeting of Business 2021 (Enade), the president of the Production and Commerce Confederation (CPC), Juan Sutil, referred to the constitutional process that Chile is currently undergoing and affirmed that all sectors – including the business sector – must contribute to this work by seeking an understanding on the new Constitution.

He explained that “we have the opportunity to include in the new Constitution the pillars that will provide us with the minimum conditions for development, pillars that will allow us to have a balanced and lasting Constitution that unites and does not divide society.”

Read also: Check out our coverage on Chile

He appealed to the members of the Convention to “responsibly fulfill the mandate they have received from millions of Chileans to propose a new Constitution that enjoys maximum legitimacy thanks to the fact that everyone is listened to with respect and thus can feel represented and included in its content,” stating that “it is your responsibility to ensure that the constitutional process does not fail and puts Chile on the path of the future and not the past.”

Sutil pointed out that the first necessary condition for development is social peace and public order, which requires the strength of institutions. He added that the country needs institutions that promote human development and the coexistence of people in a free and just society.

He explained that “institutional stability results from balanced, timely, serious and responsible decisions made by collegial bodies such as the Central Bank. Therefore, it is appropriate to unify collegial management in other institutions, such as the Court of Audit, the Tax Authority, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the future institution that will be in charge of water management, to name a few.

He stressed, “Institutional strength must also manifest itself in legal certainty and fiscal stability so that long-term businesses can continue to invest, carry out projects and create jobs. After all, businessmen and entrepreneurs cannot ignore the economic signals coming from the place where they make their investments in their work.”

THE FOUR COMMITMENTS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Sutil also announced a new “Business Commitment to Chile” that includes four themes: “decisive progress” toward “better businesses fully committed to ethics and integrity; a pact for social development, equality and opportunity; another related to the challenges of climate change and water supply; and finally, a commitment to the territories.

In January, the business associations will set up commissions to cover the various points and present a final document at the second Enade meeting.

The head of the Major Businesses stressed that despite all the progress Chile has achieved, many families face deprivation, live in precarious conditions, and do not have the same opportunities for progress as other compatriots, “which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the economic crisis.”

With information form Diario Financiero