The Constitutional Court has announced its decision concerning the processing of the tax reform bill. The text had been sent to the courts on October 26, to allow for a study of the constitutionality of its legislative procedure. The judges concluded that the National Assembly has applied the legislative process correctly and legally. As such, the deputies will now move forward with the final debate necessary for the bill to be passed next week. The law would increase income tax, allow financial intermediaries to withhold taxes, and replace the Sales Tax with the Value Added Tax (VAT).

The Judicial Branch said that the bill will not require a special majority to be passed in the National Assembly, as had been called for by the opposition when it presented the consultation to the Constitutional Court. Therefore, a total of 29 positive votes would be sufficient to complete the last discussion in the floor and send the bill for its enactment to the Executive.  When the floor passed the bill in first debate, 35 assembly members voted in its favor, indicating the level of consensus for the initiative.

This week it is expected that the resolution of the judges will be published in the Official Gazette. The Assembly aims to vote on the bill in the first days of December.