LatinNews Daily - 6 December 2024

*Ecuador’s national assembly has approved a new bill which will provide financial relief to people impacted by the country’s energy crisis, which has now been running for over a year with rolling blackouts in force around the country. The bill, submitted by President Daniel Noboa, would allow people to claim unemployment benefits within ten days of becoming unemployed, provided that they meet certain criteria. Among other things, it would also order internet and mobile service providers to compensate customers for service failure during the energy crisis; suspend automatic increases in rental prices in both the public and private sectors; provide tax breaks to businesses that have not laid off staff during the energy crisis; restructure mortgage payments; and allow the delayed payment of income tax. The bill was voted upon in three segments, with two of these being approved with 115 and 116 votes in the 137-seat national assembly. The other segment was rejected. This would have required companies to hire one elderly person, who does not receive a pension, for every 50 employees.