Independent deputy turns down handout bonus

ANA MATILDE GÓMEZ, the only independent deputy in the National Assembly has rejected a $25,000 bonus approved on Friday, December by the Budget Committee for each of the 63 legislators to distribute Christmas goodies to their constituents.

“I am not in agreement (bonuses ). I have talked with the President of Assembly (Adolfo Valderrama) and asked him not to include me in the list of deputies getting hand outs which solve nothing. “
“I would urge the comptroller to do an audit and put a brake on the program. Who am I going to deliver this to? It needs a technical survey to know what families really need help. These studies have not been done). That means handouts will be very discretionary”
Gomez suggested this type of benefit for deputies be discontinued
The current mechanism is patronage, encouraging populism, and not strengthening democracy at all and does not solve anyone’s poverty”
On Friday, Dec. 12 the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) allocated $1.5 million to deputies to acquire and distribute food vouchers in supermarket chains in the country during the year-end holidays.