New law protects against workplace harassment; How to claim VAT refunds online; Another cocaine bust; 100 years of women’s suffrage celebrated

Miércoles, 28/2/2024

Hola, Todos –

Titular –

Villficencio, asesinado por alias “El Invisible” (Villavicencio, killed by alias “El Invisible”) – See today’s article in CHL for story.

Cuenca –

Se puede pedir la devolución del IVA (VAT refunds can be claimed) – People with disabilities or their substitutes and senior citizens can ask for a refund of IVA from the SRI. What can be asked for includes the past 5 years. For purchases in 2018, the maximum monthly amount is $92.64; $94.56 in 2019; $96.00 in 2020 and 2021; $102 in 2022; and $108 in 2023. Narcisa Solano, a public accountant and consultant with TrubiService explained that with electronic facturas, the paperwork to ask for refunds from the SRI is easier. Her company charges $25 for the service which includes consultation.

Conaie President Leonidas Iza will be a presidential candidate in 2025.

She said to make the request online, go to the “SRI en línea” platform at www.sri.gob.ec and start with your username and password. On the menu of services, click on “Devoluciones (TAX REFUND). <They have the menu in English? I guess the squeeky wheels do get the grease. SRI has written warnings taped to the customer side of the service counters telling people that berating or abusing public servants is punishable by law. Maybe they got too many gringos demanding they be served in English as they were in the US.> In the submenu, click on “Devolución por Internet – Personas con Discapacidad” and then click “Continuar” where you can verify the percentage of your disability should that be the basis of your claim.
You also have to validate the details of the bank account where the deposits will be made depending on the availability of the fund provided for this purpose by the Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas. <And there you have the fine print and probably the reason you haven’t been getting your money.>

Since facturas are now electronic, the SRI automatically has the facturas issued to the name of the disabled or elderly person. You can also go to the windows at the SRI when you have physical facturas to present. Solano clarified that the IVA only applies to purchases of clothing, housing, food <Beer, wine, and liquor are not food.>, communication, culture, sports <But I don’t think they’ll cover your ticket to either the SuperBowl or the World Cup.>, health and education.

Devolución automática (Automatic refund) – The SRI has set up a way for seniors to get their IVA refunds automatically. This is available from those establishments who have adopted this system for their tercera edad (3d age) clients who have fulfilled the SRI’s established requirements. Those seniors who do not have a password to get into the SRI online partal, can ask for one in person at an SRI office. The SRI will call the commercial locations to set up this mechanism so that the adultos mayores (seniors) can access the IVA refund mechanism automatically.

Sucesos –

De El Mercurio del martes, 27/2 (1 article):
4 procesados por tráfico de cocaína a gran escala (4 indicted for large-scale cocaine trafficking) – 4 people were arrested with more than 2 tons of cocaine in an operation conducted by the Unidad de Inteligencia Antinarcóticos of the Policía Nacional el 23/2 in a private development in Guayaquil. Police also found a rifle, 8 cell phones, cash, 2 cars, documentation for 3d persons and more. Inside the house were 2,055 brick type packages packaged with adhesive tape and in 42 sacks <What do you want to bet the tape was duct tape – now there are 1001 uses for duct tape.> destined for shipment to North America and Europe.

Nacional –

100 años del voto femenino (100 years of women’s suffrage) – <Ths is your little bit of Ecuadorian history article.> Upon completion of 100 years of women voting in Ecuador, the Minister of Women and Human Rights, Arianna Tanca, met with assembly members and authorities to coordinate joint activities commemorating this date. The first woman to vote in Ecuador and Latin America was Matilde Hidalgo de Prócel from Loja who voted on 10/5/1924. <Although women’s right to vote was not part of the constitution until 1929.>

De El Mercurio del martes, 27/2 (2 articles):
Ley protege el derecho a desconexión (Law protects the right to disconnection) – The Asamblea Nacional approved a law against workplace violence and bullying as well as prohibiting employers from obligating employees to answer calls, chats or messages outside of their working hours. The Ley para la Erradicación de la Violencia y el Acoso (Law for the Eradication of Violence and Harassment) establishes sanctions against employers and co-workers who engage in “mobbing.” Intimidation using social networks, and any other digital media will be sanctioned. Sanctions will also be applied to changing the job of the worker without the worker’s written authorization and constitutes psicological and patrimonial violence if a worker’s pay is reduced. If a worker considers that his employer or coworker has mistreated, humiliated, threatened, attacked, marginalized or forced him to quit, he can report the case to the Ministerio del Trabajo.

Leonidas Iza precandidato (Leonidas Iza pre-candidate) – Leonidas Iza, president of the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas (CONAIE) received support from Pachakutik in the Sierra and Coast regionals for the presidential elections in febrero, 2025.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne