Undersecretary of the Interior Máximo Pavez ruled out using the constitutional 2% provision to address the weather emergencies that have hit the Metropolitan Region in recent days. He made the announcement at a press briefing at La Moneda Palace.
According to CNN Chile, Pavez was unequivocal: "Using the constitutional 2% provision is not on the table." He described it as a tool reserved for major events in the country's democratic history.
The constitutional 2% provision is an exceptional mechanism. It allows the executive branch to authorize spending not included in the Budget Law in the event of public disasters. According to Pavez, it was last used during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before that, it was activated following the collapse of public transport after the launch of Transantiago in 2007.
Instead, the undersecretary pointed to another option. In July, the Undersecretariat of the Interior authorized a budget provision allowing all regional governments to allocate 2% of their own budgets to the various phases of an emergency.
Those funds come with a condition. According to Pavez, each regional government can allocate them to preparedness, mitigation and response, provided the decision goes through the regional Cogrid, the Disaster Risk Management Committee.
The difference is significant. The constitutional 2% provision mobilizes national resources by decision of the executive branch. The budget provision, by contrast, shifts the burden to each region's coffers. The sources do not specify how much money that provision represents for the Metropolitan Region.
The briefing also addressed criticism from mayors and governors. According to ADN Radio, local authorities questioned the handling of communications during the frontal systems and called for a single spokesperson to provide information on weather events.
Pavez defended the strategy. "We have held regular press briefings," he said. He explained that, as an exceptional measure, the minister and undersecretary of the Interior had delivered a preliminary assessment following the unusual rainfall the previous night. He also noted that the undersecretary and the national director of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) record a video update during every emergency.
The sources do not identify which mayors or governors voiced the criticism, or whether they will continue to push for the national fund to be activated. For now, the government's decision leaves the financial response in the hands of regional budgets, under the provision in effect since July.
