The national Government confirmed the completion of the Back to Work (VAT) program, an initiative that had been implemented as a replacement for Empowering Work, and which, as clarified by the Ministry of Human Capital, had already been planned for a limited duration since its creation.
The portfolio led by Sandra Pettovello reported that the program completed its two-year cycle, so its closure does not respond to a short-term decision but to a scheme planned from its original design. Within this framework, the last non-remunerative monthly allowance was liquidated during the month of April.
The first page of the Human Capital press release.
From the ruling party, they explained that the measure is part of a reorientation of social spending, with the objective of allocating resources to policies considered to have greater impact and efficiency. The focus of this new phase is to strengthen direct assistance, eliminating intermediaries and improving the allocation of public funds
.
The Back to Work program had been conceived as a tool to facilitate the transition to formal employment, unlike Empowering Work, which presented incompatibilities with registered work and a strong intermediation of social organizations. Under this scheme, the beneficiaries accessed job training instances coordinated by the Undersecretary of Employment and Occupational Training
.
In parallel with the closure, the Government reported that the beneficiaries were notified in advance of new alternatives. Among them, the possibility of accessing vouchers for vocational courses and vocational training, with the aim of improving their employability conditions in the
private sector.
In addition, the Ministry of Human Capital highlighted the strengthening of other social containment tools, especially those aimed at the most vulnerable sectors. In this regard, significant increases were highlighted in the Food Card, which registered an increase of 137.5%, as well as 561% increases in the Universal Child Allowance (AUH) and the Pregnancy
Allowance. The second and last page of the Human Capital press release.
As indicated by the Executive, this reconfiguration of the system seeks to guarantee a more transparent, direct scheme focused on concrete results. The elimination of intermediaries and the promotion of job training appear as central pillars of the strategy
.
The closure of the VAT occurs in a context of tensions with sectors linked to social organizations, which in recent days have promoted protests against the measure. However, the Government maintains that the course: to move towards a model that encourages integration into formal employment and reduces dependence
