The Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados (Chile's lower house of Congress) approved the bill extending President José Antonio Kast's government aid in response to rising fuel prices, according to La Tercera. With that vote, the bill completed its passage through Congress and is ready to be signed into law.
The beneficiaries are the same as in the March announcement: artisanal fishers, taxi drivers and school transport operators. The original support was set to expire in September. However, gasoline prices remain high.
For taxis, shared taxis (taxis colectivos) and school transport, the bill extends the monthly bonus of $100,000 from six to nine months. "In this way, it incorporates the months of October, November and December 2026", the Ministerio de Hacienda (Chile's finance ministry) explained.
For artisanal fishing, the law creates a new monthly bonus of $100,000 for those same three months. It is aimed at owners of vessels up to 12 meters in length registered in the Registro Pesquero Artesanal (the national artisanal fishing registry). The funds may only be used to buy fuel to operate those vessels.
According to Hacienda, the benefits continue the Chile Sale Adelante plan. The stated goal is for recipients to keep working despite higher fuel costs. The source does not report how many people will receive the bonus or its total fiscal cost.
The problem dates back to March. That month, fuel prices rose to a historic high because the Executive neutralized the Mecanismo de Estabilización de Precios de los Combustibles (Mepco), the system that cushions international price swings in Chile. The government cited the fiscal situation at the time.
The Mepco later resumed operating every three weeks. Recently, gasoline prices have risen due to the conflict in the Middle East. Crude oil is trading at around US$100 per barrel, compared with US$70 before the war. Following United States attacks, Iran disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than 20% of the world's oil passes.
The bill also addresses the Fondo de Garantía para Pequeños Empresarios (Fogape), which backs loans for businesses without sufficient collateral. The authority to make fiscal contributions to the fund was set to expire in December of this year. Under the new law, it is extended until December 31, 2028.
