The first month of José Antonio Kast's administration is facing dual pressures: technical scrutiny over the sustainability of its economic policies and political evaluation of its transition process. While opposition figures question the fiscal viability of campaign promises, government allies are defending the transparency of the new press office.
Johannes Kaiser, a former presidential candidate for the Libertarian National Party (PNL), expressed his support for Spokesperson Mara Sedini, though he warned he would allow a three-month grace period before criticizing any management errors. Speaking to TVN, Kaiser praised the minister's bluntness, noting that "she says things exactly as she sees or thinks them."
The former PNL standard-bearer contrasted the current situation with the previous administration, stating that the transition of Gabriel Boric's government was "devastating" due to the lack of officials during its first six months. However, Kaiser acknowledged that while the current press office may make mistakes, it avoids deception. "I believe that making a mistake is far less serious than deceiving the public," he stated, as reported by CNN Chile.
The Debate Over Fiscal Sustainability
On the economic front, the outlook is more complex. Economist and former Finance Minister Nicolás Eyzaguirre issued sharp warnings against parts of the 43-measure reconstruction and development package promoted by the Executive. In an interview onEl Primer Café, Eyzaguirre described VAT exemptions for products such as diapers and medicine as "poison."
"During my six years as minister under President Lagos, I never accepted VAT exemptions because that is poison. You know where you start, but you don't know where you'll end up," Eyzaguirre declared, according to Cooperativa. The economist also questioned the proposal to eliminate property taxes for senior citizens, calling it a measure lacking technical merit.
As an alternative to tax exemptions, Eyzaguirre proposed using reverse mortgages to generate liquidity for real estate owners. In contrast, Republican Deputy Benjamín Moreno defended the measure based on social urgency, arguing that a long-term solution for bedridden seniors cannot take years to implement.
The debate also extended to corporate taxation. While Eyzaguirre warned that corporate tax cuts in developed nations have not proven to drive growth, former Senator Ignacio Walker described the negotiation process for these measures as "vote-trading" among the involved parties. Meanwhile, Deputy Horst joined the criticisms regarding VAT, suggesting that the focus should instead be on improving consultancy management to ensure the delivery of free medications.
