Previous Story
Organization Americas Society highlights Ecuador as an economically stable country
Posted On 30 Oct 2020
The social and health combat against the coronavirus pandemic and economic decisions to overcome the emergency were the issues addressed by the President of the Republic, Lenín Moreno , in a discussion with corporate members of the Americas Society / Council of the Americas (Council of the Americas AS / COA for its acronym in English).
Organization Americas Society highlights Ecuador as an economically stable country
Susan Segal , CEO of the organization, moderated this space in which the actions of the National Government were highlighted, making it a benchmark. The Head of State commented that the country experienced difficult times, especially during the last seven months, due to the presence of the virus , which it was possible to face together with health experts and with biosecurity measures .
He stressed that thanks to correct and timely decisions such as the closure of borders, confinement, teleworking and tele-education; the nation “has the lowest rates in the region for infections and deaths,” he said.
He also highlighted the work of the brigades of the ministries of Health, Economic and Social Inclusion, National Police, Armed Forces and Manuela Espejo; who moved to Guayaquil in the most critical moments. In that sense, he highlighted the work of the president of the board of directors of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS), Jorge Wated , who led the Joint Task Force , in the mission of collecting and identifying bodies.
He recalled that the National Government built a cemetery to guarantee a dignified rest for citizens. On the economic front, Moreno emphasized that “from the beginning of this crisis, we have proposed a three-phase strategy: resistance, reactivation and recovery ” aimed at lifting up the country that had already been struggling with a complicated financial situation. “We inherited an immense debt, the pandemic surprised us without money in the fiscal coffers,” he said.
Added to this was the drop in the price of a barrel of oil and the lack of tax revenue. Despite this, he recognized that the “heroism of the companies allowed non-oil exports to grow from 10 to 15%” and decisions such as the payment of $ 340 million for foreign debt led to the successful refinancing of $ 17 million with the holders .
In addition, Ecuador obtained an exceptional program with the International Monetary Fund of $ 6,500 million. Another axis was the Humanitarian Support Law to protect sources of work, which entailed new contracting modalities, and the productive sector, which has felt the blow of the pandemic.
“This government is betting on situations that are politically inappropriate but that have helped save lives. We regain confidence and now we are heading to the future, “he said. For her part, Susan Segal, highlighted the trajectory of the President, both from the business sphere and in his functions as Head of State.
Segal expressed that “the commitment to human rights, to face corruption with the objective of developing the country and the promotion of foreign investment ” made him worthy – last year – the Gold Insigne Award, the highest decoration that the Council de las Américas delivers to heads of state who have been democratically elected, in recognition of the work done.
The AS / COA representative also made reference to the Government’s policies in the international field, focused on human rights, production, the environment and human mobility. “We see the transformation of Ecuador into an economically stable country where the rule of law is guaranteed,” he concluded. (I)
