en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Uruguayan government submitted a bill on Wednesday containing over 240 articles, titled the "Competitiveness and Cost of Living Reduction Bill," aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by advancing the digitalization of the meat industry chain, allowing on-farm manual processing, and simplifying administrative procedures.
Currently, some procedures in the agricultural sector require companies to resubmit information already held by the government. For example, registrations that expire every five years force companies to resubmit a full set of documents. Family producers making cheese, honey, or cured meat products face difficulties in formalizing their operations due to the lack of a dedicated channel. The bill, jointly submitted by four ministries, aims to address these issues.
Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries Alfredo Fratti stated that industry associations have been calling for simplified procedures for 30 years, which will mean reducing the circulation of paper and forms. One of the most specific measures for the industry is the creation of the Commercial Management and Certification Registration System (SRGCC), designed to achieve full digitalization of the meat industry chain, thereby simplifying and strengthening commercial management and certification processes, improving information traceability, reducing procedural costs and time, and enhancing sanitary controls.
The government also views this measure as a tool to enhance the export competitiveness of the industry. Fratti specifically mentioned the platform of the Uruguayan National Meat Institute (INAC) as an example of accelerating information flow and reducing waiting times. The bill introduces a simplified system for manual processing in family agricultural production. Cheese, cured meats, canned goods, honey, textiles, and rural tourism projects produced by family farmers will be formalized through a differentiated approval process, aimed at helping them add value and diversify income. Currently, these activities often operate in a regulatory gray area.
In addition to sector-specific measures, the bill introduces horizontal changes: the validity period for sanitary, phytosanitary, technical, and environmental registrations will be extended from 5 to 10 years, aligning with current regulations in Argentina and Brazil. Renewals will be completed through sworn declarations without the need to resubmit all documents. At the same time, the obligation to translate documents into English or Portuguese will be eliminated. Regarding information sharing, the bill requires national agencies to enhance interoperability through the National Unified Registration System for Food, Businesses, and Vehicles. For example, information previously requested from the Cadastre Office can now be generated directly by the National Directorate of Mining and Geology (DINAMIGE), eliminating the need for private entities to handle it separately. The bill will be submitted to Parliament next week and may be amended during the legislative process.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
