Mexico passes law to abolish regulatory bodies as Sheinbaum continues Obrador’s reforms

Mexico’s Senate on Thursday passed a measure to abolish the autonomous bodies that regulate some economic sectors and ensure government transparency, a reform that has sparked outcry from the opposition and industry.

Lawmakers in the upper chamber voted on the proposal’s general terms with 86 in favour and 42 against, with nearly the same tally coming in for the bill’s particular terms.

It had passed in the lower house last week.

The reform proposes scrapping autonomous agencies such as antitrust watchdog Cofece, telecoms regulator IFT, energy regulator CRE, hydrocarbon regulator CNH and public information and data protection office INAI.

Their functions would be taken over by other government bodies such as the official statistics office, the electoral authority and government ministries.

The head of the Senate constitutional committee, Oscar Canton of the ruling Morena party, said that the proposal represents the administration’s commitment to an austere, efficient government focused on the needs of its people.

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The measure is among the constitutional reforms presented in February by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and backed by current President Claudia Sheinbaum, aimed at cutting public spending by centralising the state apparatus.

Opposition lawmakers and analysts, however, allege that the reform threatens democracy and that it will impede accountability against government wrongdoings.
Morena and their allies “are looking for total opacity, the elimination of any counterweight to the power they covet,” opposition senator Agustin Dorantes said in the session.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)