“We have to distribute the wealth that we all generate more fairly”

This was stated by President Gabriel Boric in his speech at ENADE and emphasized that “we cannot improve the quality of life of the people if we do not improve growth and productivity.” He told the businessmen: “I want to invite you to change the scenario, and instead of playing a match between rivals, let’s set the goal that we finish this match as if it were a national team match.” The president asked himself before representatives of the business world: “Why wouldn’t we be able, all giving in and with technical evidence, to carry out a reform that improves the current and future pensions of our country?” President Boric, in his speech at Enade, raised an objective of growing the economy by 2%, generating 700 thousand new jobs and reducing poverty by around 5%.

“The century”. Santiago. 4/25/2024. Featured paragraphs from President Gabriel Boric’s speech at the National Business Meeting (ENADE), which brings together, mainly, representatives of business unions, economic and financial groups.

Growth

“Let’s set the goal of growing together, both for this year and for the next decade. I am sure, convinced that we can achieve it and we can unlock an important part of the investments.”

“I’m not happy with 2% (growth). What we have said, and with this I would like to close this controversy, is that growing, even a little, is different from having a recession, and that when Chile’s growth expectations are adjusted upwards, it is good news and not a bad”.

“Chile can do more, and we can achieve it if we work together. Let there be no room for doubt, growth is important without buts, we cannot improve the quality of life of the people if we do not improve growth and productivity and, at the same time, we have to manage to distribute the wealth that we all generate more fairly. ”.

“I don’t see growth from the perspective of trickle-down, a concept that seems to have resurfaced in recent years. I do not believe that growth is capable of replacing a sustained effort to support the poorest and the middle sectors.”

“I was elected to lead Chile into the future, not to restore the past. “I want to leave the country better than how I found it.”

Pension reform

“Why wouldn’t we be able, all giving in and with technical evidence, to carry out a reform that improves the current and future pensions of our country?”

“From the Government, I say it very responsibly, we are willing to close these issues as soon as possible, giving certainty to the family and the business world and I invite the opposition to achieve this, it will be a joint victory in which we do not only seek one takes a photo.”

“It’s not nonsense, it’s conviction. It is not ideologism as we are accused of, it is realism. Just as there is no growth without stability and investment, there is no stability without social cohesion and security, at all levels. Certainties to invest and certainties to live.”

“What I have stated, and I maintain, is that it would be insulting to the majority of the population and would contribute to the discredit of politics, for those of us who are and are part of this profession, to be able to carry out modifications to the rules that govern our activity. , but let’s not reach an agreement on something so urgent that affects the majority of our compatriots, which is the pension reform.”

Reform of the political system

“I want to take advantage of this occasion to explicitly point out, and to avoid any type of speculation or misunderstanding, that as President of the Republic I am in favor of a reform of our political system, that I consider many of the proposals that in this sense valuable. have been raised and I also believe that we must legislate in this regard during this period of government, for which the government will promote an agreement between the different political forces that includes the vast majority of them, hopefully all of them.”

“We will promote an agreement between the different political forces that includes the vast majority of them, hopefully all of them, and in this I want to be very clear, I do not make any type of transactional calculations nor do I make uncertain future electoral bets. “What is good for Chile does not have to be subject to small calculations.”

Government-business relationship

“I carefully read the letters that some presidents of large companies sent to their shareholders. They say, among other things, that the country’s activity is destroyed, that we have wasted a decade, that there is no will to grow, “that the dream of achieving development has been lost, and in this scenario some even point out or proceed to take investments abroad, instead of making investments for the country.”

“We did not come to stay in our comfort zone. And that also implies questioning, or modifying, one’s own starting points. “We have tirelessly sought agreements, promoting dialogue and making our positions more flexible.”

“But we must recognize that for different reasons, and without pointing the finger at anyone, it has been difficult to do so in a tense political environment, where red lines and slamming doors abound. Where it is difficult to obtain commitments and the few that are achieved are not always fulfilled.”

“I want to invite you to change the scenario, and instead of playing a match between rivals, let’s set the goal that we finish this match as if it were a national team match.”

“This, by the way, does not mean hiding our differences that are typical of a democratic society. Nor, hypocritically pretending that overnight we are all going to be dear friends. It means that despite the differences we have, we are aware that we also have shared objectives that are bigger, and much more important than our past disagreements.”

Figures

President Boric, in his speech at Enade, raised an objective of 2% growth of the economy, the generation of 700 thousand new jobs and reducing poverty by around 5%.