Opposition blames PRI and Meade for price increase

Opposition groups at the Mexican Parliament claim the center-right Institutional Revolutionary Party ( PRI ) is responsible for the price increase in the basket of goods and gasoline , stating this is a consequence of the bad economic policy of the now aspiring presidential candidate of the PRI, José Antonio Meade, who was the Minister of Finance throughout most of the Peña Nieto administration.

The opposition rejects the claims of the Ministry of Finance that there are is no such thing as a price increase when Mexican citizens have clearly lost purchasing power.

Rocío Nahle

, the coordinator of the left National Regeneration Party ( MORENA ), says price hikes are the evidence of the lack of clarity the Federal Government has regarding its economic policy, as prices increase every year and this was the reason why her party voted against the Income Law.

She added that the PRI and its political allies refused to vote in favor of decreasing the IEPS (Special Tax on Products and Services) for gasoline products and as a result, gasoline prices have increased again, adding to the “severe” inflation.

“Of this José Antonio Meade should be held accountable because he was the one who drafted the Income Law,” said the legislator.

This is a view shared by the coordinator of the left Democratic Revolution Party ( PRD ), Francisco Martínez , and the deputy coordinator of the conservative National Action Party ( PAN ), Federico Döring , who claims the gasoline price increases are due to the incompetence of the Federal Government when devising the Energy Reforms.

“It's a consequence of the vacuum of power left at the Ministry of Finance because after November 15, date when the Expense Budget was submitted, they only thought of the election, not the Mexican people and least of all, the economy,” he accused.

Initially, the Government expected a 3% inflation yet 2017 closed with a rate of 6.69% .

For his part, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Jorge Carlos Ramírez ( PRI ) said the arguments are groundless as price increases have taken place at the start of the year and “the corresponding authorities have already been appointed” and what is left, now, is to “demand a better efficiency in ensuring no abuses are being committed.”

He added that electoral authorities should investigate who is behind the misinformation campaign regarding the gasoline prices increase.

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