There’s a new bill to ban legislators from exercising their liberal profession or other remunerated activities during the four years as public officials. The proposal implies the addition of a paragraph to article 14 of the Law against Corruption and Illicit Enrichment in Public Function.
The proponent justifies that this would avoid a possible conflict of interests, either to defend the interests of their clients, or increase the number of people who use their services when they are legislators. In previous legislatures, there have been congressmen who turned their offices into law firms.
Others would only pay attention to their phones during Plenary sessions to answer customer calls. All this is to the detriment of the citizens who voted for them to fulfill their functions as representatives of the people, not to continue to exercise their liberal professions,”
said José María Villalta from Frente Amplio.
In the explanatory statement of the bill, Villalta stated that a congressman’s salary is 15 times the lowest base salary of the Public Administration; that sum amounts to four million colones. According to the proponent, the fight against corruption in the public service must be initiated by the Legislative Assembly to fill those gaps left in the Law of Illicit Enrichment.
Being a legislator requires full dedication to the position […] It is not possible to adequately fulfill the responsibilities of the office, if they are also engaged in the private practice of their profession,”
concluded Villata.