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Paraguayan senator: Citizens won't pay taxes amid rampant state theft
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Paraguayan senator: Citizens won't pay taxes amid rampant state theft

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Paraguayan Senator Ignacio Iramaín warns that citizens will refuse to pay taxes if they witness widespread state theft and a lack of transparency, particularly concerning Itaipú.
  • He advocates for austerity but insists it should not disproportionately burden ordinary citizens like teachers and retirees.
  • Iramaín highlights that Paraguay loses an estimated $1.8 billion annually due to "poor spending," which he equates to theft, a sum nearly five times the cost of the "Hambre Cero" program.

Paraguayan Senator Ignacio Iramaín has issued a stark warning: citizens will not willingly pay taxes if they perceive rampant theft and a lack of transparency within the state, especially concerning the Itaipú Binational Entity. He expressed support for austerity measures but stressed that such policies should not fall solely on the shoulders of the usual taxpayers, such as teachers and retirees.

It is not the same to be a poor country as it is to be a plundered country.

— Ignacio IramaínSenator Iramaín's assertion about the impact of corruption on Paraguay's economic state.

Speaking in the Senate, Iramaín described the country's current economic situation as a "susu’a económico" (economic hardship), challenging the government's claims of macroeconomic health. He argued that the perceived lack of funds stems not from scarcity but from theft. "It is not the same to be a poor country as it is to be a plundered country," he asserted.

While acknowledging a proposal to cut $400 million in superfluous expenses, Iramaín insisted that savings should not come at the expense of the same groups repeatedly asked to sacrifice. "Before raising the retirement age for teachers, let's collect from those who don't pay today," he proposed. He also called for transparency regarding Itaipú's $650 million in funds before asking retirees for sacrifices or cutting school lunch programs.

Before raising the retirement age for teachers, let's collect from those who don't pay today.

— Ignacio IramaínSenator Iramaín's proposal for alternative austerity measures.

Citing a report from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Iramaín stated that Paraguay loses $1.8 billion annually due to "poor spending," which he directly labeled as theft. He contrasted this figure with the $375 million cost of the "Hambre Cero" (Zero Hunger) program, which feeds over a million students, lamenting that the amount lost to corruption is nearly five times the program's budget. He also noted that Paraguay's tax revenue is significantly low compared to regional averages, suggesting reforms to strengthen personal income tax and reduce exemptions.

But of course people will not want to pay taxes. If we see how it is wasted, how are we going to want to pay more taxes?

— Ignacio IramaínSenator Iramaín questioning public willingness to pay taxes amid perceived corruption.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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