Liberal influencer Germán Benítez toured the city's downtown area and met with overwhelmed shopkeepers. The area is going through a terminal crisis caused by lack of management and local tax pressure. Residents reported that the sector has turned into a "no-go zone" lacking basic essential services.
The tax burden is suffocating entrepreneurs who are trying to survive in a hostile and decaying environment. A small business pays around $130,000 per month in combined Simplified Tax Regime and Gross Income Tax. The provincial and municipal burden ($68,630) far exceeds the national component of the tax.
Taxpayers report being charged $22,000 for water service in premises that do not have a bathroom. They pay municipal fees for a consideration that the local government doesn't provide at all. The treasury's voracious collection contrasts with the zero investment in visible urban infrastructure.
Urban planning against commerce
Shopkeepers point to the "pedestrianization" works and planters that isolated the commercial heart. The closure of lanes on 27 de Abril Street drove buses away and reduced the flow of customers. Government planning hindered consumer access and sales plummeted.
Getting downtown has become an odyssey because of vehicle restrictions and lack of parking spaces. Private parking lots have to charge high rates to cover the cost of the Urban Property Tax. On the street, the presence of "naranjitas" and insecurity drives away those who come from other neighborhoods.
