No doubt that running the Mexican economy from the Finance Secretariat is no piece of cake. But is this why Finance Secretary Luis Videgaray is flopping about saying half-truths and blatant contradictions?
Just this past week Videgaray met with Council of Political Coordination of the Chamber of Deputies where National Action Party (PAN) chamber whip Marko Cortés proposed to Videgaray to lower income taxes in order to ease the threat of inflation and put some money back into business and families. Also, “to make Mexico more attractive to investors.”
Videgaray’s answer was absolutely not. “This is not the time to lower taxes” and it is the absolute duty of the federal government to take care of economic stability particularly under the complexity of international financial gales.
In short, Videgaray told the deputies to butt off his business of running the nation’s finances. The deputies were, to put it mildly, very angry.
Another question that came up was the Pemex “bankruptcy.” Lest we forget three weeks ago Videgaray told all Pemex suppliers and service providers that the company had no money to pay them and those payments would be made by the National Financing Agency, Nafin.
Collectors rushed to Nafin offices only to find out that their money wasn’t there either. Since that day we can only hear the hollering by ailing companies that want their accrued investments back.
Videgaray told the deputies “Pemex is not bankrupt” and that as a property of the nation, it was the federal government’s duty to administer it well.
Half truths? Half lies?
Maybe both.