The proposal seeks to end seven organizations and their functions will be taken over by different ministries, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum. Critics argue that this move will jeopardize the institutions’ independence. The bill was drafted under Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and forms part of a broader reform blitz. Since the new Congress took office in September, a slew of changes to Mexico’s laws have been approved by lawmakers, including overhauls of the judicial system and energy sector, as well as a plan that guarantees the minimum wage will rise above inflation.
Key takeaways:
- Mexican lawmakers have taken the first step towards eliminating several autonomous watchdogs, including the antitrust regulator and the transparency institute, as part of a broader reform push.
- The lower house of Congress approved the general text of a constitutional proposal to scrap the oversight bodies in a 347-128 vote.
- The government supports the legislation, stating that eliminating the regulators will generate savings for public coffers. The functions of these agencies will be taken over by different ministries.
- Critics argue that the plan will jeopardize the institutions' independence and could potentially conflict with parts of the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA).