In a crucial meeting at the Casa de Nariño, President Gustavo Petro achieved important progress in discussions on pension reform by reaching an agreement with senators from the Liberal Party, which could ensure a majority in Congress for the approval of the project.
The central point of the agreement is the reduction of the contribution threshold in the Colpensiones average premium regime. Initially proposed at three minimum wages, it has now been agreed to lower it to 2.3 minimum wages. Although this figure is still higher than the alternative proposal of the U Party, which advocated a threshold of 1.5 minimum wages, it represents a significant change in the direction of the reform.
You can read: House of Representatives approved the educational reform in the second debate
In addition, the liberal bench announced other important changes, such as an increase in subsidies for strata 1 and 2, as well as the guarantee that the fund will not be managed entirely by Colpensiones, which could introduce greater competition and diversity in management. of pension funds.
In an unexpected move, the liberal caucus also declared that it will not vote in favor of shelving the pension reform, challenging the position previously expressed by former president César Gaviria. The senators assured that they had the support of the former president and that his position differs from what has been reported in the media.
Although this agreement represents a step forward in pension reform, the project still faces several challenges. It must pass three more debates in Congress, one in the Senate and two in the House of Representatives, and be approved before June 20. With less than 10 weeks to achieve it, the clock is ticking for the reform to be approved and these significant changes to Colombia’s pension system to materialize.
You may be interested in: Agricultural authorities warn about the use of illegal seeds