From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: El Salvador: Proceso 528: News Briefs
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 21:43:10 GMT

/** reg.elsalvador: 162.0 **/
** Topic: Proceso 528: News Briefs **
** Written 11:39 am  Sep  5, 1992 by cidai@huracan.cr in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: cidai@huracan.cr (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
Subject: Proceso 528: News Briefs

Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
Central American University (UCA)
San Salvador, El Salvador
 
PROCESO 528
September 2, 1992
 
NEWS BRIEFS:
 
APPOINTMENT:  Starting September 1, Baltazar Llort was named
interim president of the national power company CEL. Llort began
his term by announcing a 30% increase in electricity rates. He also
admitted that the rate hike was a result of pressure from
international lending institutions like the Inter-American
Development Bank, which had even requested a higher rate. With
regard to the nation's energy situation, he said the crisis is
completely resolved and no more problems are foreseen, now that the
hydroelectric dams are full of water and the thermal generators are
working as scheduled.
 
RATE HIKE:  Starting September 1, when the new Value-Added Tax
(VAT) went into effect, new prices were announced for gasoline,
public transportation, electricity and water. President Cristiani
confirmed the 10% increase in gasoline prices, which is equivalent
to the rate of the VAT. The new interim president of the national
power company CEL, Baltazar Llort, announced a 30% rate hike for
electricity, while the Transportation Department reported a 50%
increase in urban public transportation and an increase of between
35% and 40% for interdepartmental bus service. The department also
said that the "preferential" buses will go up from one colon to
1.25. In related events, President Cristiani declared that the
implementation of the VAT will drive up prices "all at once," and
that the government had expected to end the year with an inflation
rate of 8% but that it would probably reach 10-12%.
 
FORUM:  In statements made on August 24, President Cristiani said
that the Forum for Economic and Social Consensus-Building would
begin meeting during the first half of September, with or without
the National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP). He added
that the government had made efforts to get big business to join
the Forum and give them a chance to join discussions on amendments
to the Labor Code, among other issues. ANEP, after holding a
General Assembly on September 1, decided to join the Forum starting
on September 9. The Forum was sworn in earlier without the presence
of private enterprise groups, who had conditioned their
participation on an end to land takeovers and labor agitation.
Despite their decision to join the Forum, however, ANEP President
Camilo Bolanos claimed that conditions were still not ripe for
participating, but that business had decided to do so given the
need for all social forces to help rebuild society. Bolanos ended
by saying that in the Forum, private enterprise would seek respect
for the Constitution and for private property.
 

** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

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