Bolivia governors endorse gradual 50/50 tax sharing plan

Seven of Bolivia's nine departmental governors met in El Alto and drafted a five‑point agreement to reshape fiscal relations with the central government. The core proposal is a gradual implementation of a 50/50 coparticipation tax model, starting with the Transaction Tax in the 2027 state budget and expanding to additional taxes by 2031. Governors also called for the repeal of post‑2006 laws that they say overburden regions, the transfer of mining agencies (Senarecom, Sergeomin) to departmental control, and the creation of a permanent Council of Autonomous Departmental Governments to coordinate with the national executive.

Governor Juan Pablo Velasco described the deal as “historic”, emphasizing that the tax‑sharing point marks the start of the 50/50 scheme. He said technical tables will be set up ahead of a presidential‑called meeting on 5 August in Sucre to formalise the proposal.

Opposition legislators, citing the same August meeting, urged the government to act more swiftly, warning that the lingering budget delays and slow state response worsen Bolivia's economic crisis. They called for faster processing of the tax‑sharing reforms and the approval of the 2026 budget.

The agreement aims to decentralise resources, strengthen regional autonomies and address fiscal imbalances that have fueled political tension across the country.