Weekly Report - 07 April 2016 (WR-16-13)

The government led by President Michelle Bachelet last week unveiled a programme of 22 measures aimed at boosting the economy. The move came two days after Chile’s central bank (BCCh) announced that it was revising down its growth figures for 2016 – the latest sign of a continued slowdown caused in part by the fall in international copper prices, Chile’s main export. The leftist Nueva Mayoría coalition government claims that the latest stimulus measures were the fruit of negotiations with the private sector. However, the move comes amid strained relations with the private sector as the government attempts to pass a new labour reform – one of Bachelet’s key policy priorities.