Mexico City, January 4.- In his first press conference of the year, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador thanked business leaders for their support in the country's development and reiterated that in this sector, "they know very well that they have done well despite the pandemic," and they are aware of his government's support to promote investment.
He stated that they are also aware of the opportunities his administration has provided to invest, create jobs, and earn legitimate and reasonable profits.
Therefore, "they can't complain that business owners have been affected. Politics and ideology are one thing, but economic reality is quite another. For example, there have been no tax increases; I think business owners know this and acknowledge it," he said yesterday at the National Palace.
As another example of economic stability, he noted that the Stock Market posted gains of 20 percent in 2021, "and there is economic and financial stability that hasn't been seen for some time."
Using a graph projected in the Treasury Hall, in addition to highlighting the increase in the stock market—an indicator he has rarely brought up in his presentations at his morning press conferences—López Obrador emphasized that "I can also tell you that there has also been an increase in the stock market of the poor, which is the other one, the one that matters and worries me the most."
Among the actions he emphasized as boosting economic activity is the signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA), which "has been a great support for the entire Mexican business sector; so much so that we are growing and Mexico is moving forward in the face of the pandemic crisis caused by the pandemic."
Another element is the fight against corruption at the top, which is why "favored businessmen are not allowed. In the construction sector, there are no privileges; contracts are not awarded on demand. I think they also recognize that."
