The Chilean Congress has approved the public sector adjustment law, which includes measures aimed at strengthening the institutional framework of the Interministerial Committee for Sustainable Productive Development (DPS) and updating the authorization processes overseen by the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission.
With this legislation, the Interministerial Committee for Sustainable Productive Development is formally established as an advisory and coordinating body among ministries. Its primary goal is to enhance the consistency, coherence, and efficiency of public policies related to sustainable productive development. The committee succeeds and continues the work of the previous Committee of Ministers for Productive Development, which was created by decree in December 2022. It will be chaired by the Ministry of Economy and include other ministries such as Finance, Environment, Energy, Mining, and Science. An executive secretariat within the Undersecretariat of Economy will provide technical and administrative support.
Biminister Álvaro García stated: “Con la aprobación de la Ley de Reajuste damos un paso decisivo en institucionalizar la gobernanza del Comité interministerial de Desarrollo Productivo Sostenible, dotándolo de continuidad jurídica, coordinación interministerial efectiva para trazar una hoja de ruta estratégica para el país.”
The new law also introduces significant changes to nuclear safety regulations. It sets maximum timeframes for processing authorizations handled by the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CChEN), with deadlines varying according to project type and complexity. For standard first-category radioactive facility authorizations, processing times have been reduced from a range of 60–240 working days to between 30–60 days. Special authorizations allowing specific personnel to work at nuclear or radioactive sites must now be resolved within 30 days. More complex installations may require up to 240 days.
Exceptions allowing suspension of these deadlines are permitted only under justified circumstances. The regulation also allows priority handling for health-related authorizations such as radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and nuclear medicine procedures.
Álvaro García commented: “este avance legislativo es una señal concreta de que el Estado puede modernizar su regulación sin renunciar a los máximos estándares de seguridad. Al reducir los plazos y priorizar las autorizaciones con fines sanitarios, estamos dando respuesta efectiva a las necesidades del sistema de salud, asegurando que hospitales y centros especializados accedan oportunamente a tecnología indispensable para sus pacientes”.
