Overview
- The government announced the S/18,000 million package on Thursday to blunt expected damage from the El Niño phenomenon and rising external costs, with roughly S/2,500 million set aside for direct cash bonuses to vulnerable households.
- The MEF confirmed a one‑time payment of about S/200 for roughly 800,000 ONP pensioners that is to be activated from December 2026, but wider beneficiary lists and per‑household transfer amounts have not been published.
- The package is organized around four priorities: targeted bonuses, maintenance of schools/health posts/police posts and roads, completion and strengthening of social housing programs, and liquidity measures such as tax deferrals, release of detracciones balances, and state‑guaranteed loans for micro and small firms.
- Officials say administrative norms will be prepared quickly and sent to the Council of Ministers in 15–20 days, yet media and experts warn that operational details—delivery channels, official padróns, and exact payment timetables—remain unresolved.
- Former officials and analysts caution the extra spending could raise the 2027 deficit (estimates suggest a rise from about 1.4% to roughly 2.4%), while the incoming BCR director says the move is a fiscal recalibration rather than a breach of rules; Cenepred has highlighted that more than 20 million Peruvians face serious disaster risk from El Niño, increasing pressure to act.