Gloomier economy won't curb Chile reform plans: Bachelet
Gloomier economy won't curb Chile reform plans: Bachelet
By Rosalba O'Brien
SANTIAGO Wed Mar 12, 2014 3:00pm EDT
(Reuters) - Chile's new center-left president Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday she will forge ahead with ambitious reform plans to combat steep income inequality despite an economic slowdown that is deepening.
With growth slowing to a near four-year low and prices for top export copper tumbling to 44-month lows, some had speculated she may tone down her program, which is expected to begin with tax reform, including a corporate tax hike.
But when asked by Reuters whether the gloomier global outlook could lead the administration to scale back its reform pledges, Bachelet brushed aside concerns.
"When the economy is doing well there's an excuse to say tax reform isn't needed because the economy is doing well and there are resources. When the economy is doing poorly they say we can't because the economy isn't doing so well," Bachelet said during a press conference on Wednesday.
More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/us-chile-economy-policy-idUSBREA2B1QQ20140312?rpc=401