June 30, 2026 at – 17:58
The Federation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Fedemipymes) criticized the holiday decreed by the Executive, after Albirroja’s victory against Germany. He called the measure “populist” and warned that this type of decision paralyzes the country for a day and causes million-dollar losses for various sectors.
The president of the Federation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Fedemipymes), Luis Tavellaexpressed the deep displeasure and concern of the private sector at the sudden decree dictated late yesterday by President Santiago Peña, after Paraguay’s victory against Germany in the Soccer World Cup.
For the union leader, this type of arbitrary decisions represent a hard blow for the economy and production national. “This kills us. It’s a day where full-time pay is paid, but it’s totally dead,” he said, in conversation with ABC.
He explained that the companies must cover the same way fixed costs such as water, electricity, internet, computer services, administration and salaries, without generating a single guaraní of income.
Read more: The triumph of Albirroja once again boosts sales in wineries and supermarkets
A loss of up to US$ 180 million for the country
Tavella recalled economic estimates that indicate that one day of total paralysis of the country represents a loss of between US$ 150 and US$ 180 million. “Today is a lost day, a loss for absolutely all companies. The Judiciary, sales, medical care and scheduled surgeries… absolutely everything stopped,” he said.
Likewise, he commented that those businesses that, due to the nature of their business, are forced to open, must pay your employees double in a context where there is not even fluid public transportation for workers to get around.
“Learn to celebrate while working”
The head of Fedemipymes regretted that a culture of reiterate holidays under a populist gaze instead of aiming for development.
“We have to learn to celebrate triumphs by working, not partying and drinking until dawn and then sleeping for half a day. That is not a reward,” he stressed.
When asked about comparisons with other countries in the region that have more holidays than Paraguay, Tavella was blunt: “We have to look at the countries that work the most. Argentina has had populist ideas for 20 years and is destroyed. Us We are not a first world country.; “We are trying to insert ourselves as a country of opportunities.”
Read more: Albirroja’s setback: Itaipu’s energy fluctuated to the rhythm of the penalties against Germany
More than a million entrepreneurs affected
He assured that the impact of the holiday affects a huge working mass in the MSME sector, which covers some 460,000 formalized companies that have a Single Taxpayer Registry (RUC) already close to 700,000 informal entrepreneurs.
He highlighted that the latter are hit hard because they depend strictly on “day-to-day sales and, as there is no movement or buses on the street, their income falls to zero,” he stated.
Among the most affected sectors, he mentioned the gastronomic and food service sector, industries in general, the health system and education.
Read more: Credit for consumption and agriculture will mark the end of the year, says economist
The drama of day laborers and self-employed workers
Tavella called special attention to the thousands of self-employed and construction workers who are paid under daily wage. “They earn per day worked. In a holiday they don’t work, they don’t bill and they don’t get paid, but they still need to eat”, he noted.
The president of the union recognized that legally Congress granted the Executive the power to arbitrarily decree up to three mobile holidays per year.
“We request that the Government have a more economic and not so populist perspective. We all need to work and we have a commitment to production and to our collaborators,” he concluded.
