The Mexican Congress approved the 2019 budget early on Monday morning, signing off on the spending part of the package, barely a week after the plan was first presented.
The MXN $291.5 billion budget stuck close to new President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ’s campaign promises to increase social spending while forcing many better-paid public servants to accept pay cuts.
The plan approved was almost MXN $24 billion higher than the budget presented on December 15, after President López Obrador said he wanted to find more money for universities .
The 2019 budget is projected to run a 1% surplus once payments on existing debt are excluded.
Approving of the budget was never expected to pose problems as the president’s party, Morena , and its allies are a majority in both Congress and the Senate .
President López Obrador
celebrated that the 2019 budget wasn't approved by unanimity because that means “ bribes ” are over and that public resources will be allocated to help the poor .
In regards to the protests organized by the Antorcha Campesina group , the President said that they're unhappy they will no longer receive resources, as his government will now give the money to farmers and social program beneficiaries directly, not through third parties such as this and other organizations.
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