Sheinbaum fields queries on terrorism and taxes during Wednesday's Q&A session summarized
In the heart of Mexico, the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, earns a monthly gross salary of approximately 193,706 pesos (around US $10,424), totalling around 2.32 million pesos (US $124,850) annually [1]. This is a stark contrast to the average monthly salary for officials, legislators, and government officials in Mexico, which hovers around 9,960 pesos (around US $535) [5].
The wage gap between elected officials and the average government employee is significant. Elected officials like President Sheinbaum earn around 20 times more than the average government official's monthly salary and an even greater multiple compared to the average or minimum wage worker [1]. The Mexican Constitution caps public servants' salaries so that no one earns more than the president, setting a clear maximum [1].
| Position | Monthly Salary (Pesos) | Approx. Monthly Salary (US $) | |------------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------| | President (Claudia Sheinbaum)| 193,706 | 10,424 | | Average Government Official | ~9,960 | ~535 | | Minimum Wage (approximate) | Much lower (about half the average government official salary or less) | Much less |
The average salary for formal sector workers in Mexico is around 18,000 pesos (US $965) per month, still less than the president's salary [1]. However, President Sheinbaum's net monthly salary is 133,000 pesos (US $7,140) [1].
In a recent move, the United States Department of State updated its travel advisory for Mexico, warning of the risk of "terrorism" in 30 of 32 federal entities. The advisory states: "Exercise increased caution in Mexico due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping." [6] The states with the highest risk include Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas, which are all classified as "Level 4 Do Not Travel" [6]. Yucatan and Campeche are the only states where the advisory advises U.S. citizens to "exercise normal precautions." [6]
President Sheinbaum, a committed public proponent of austerity, regularly flies on commercial airlines and has been seen urging politicians to live modestly, recently using the term "the middle ground" [7]. Despite initial hesitation, she has also addressed questions about her personal lifestyle, stating that she resides in the National Palace [8]. Prior to this, she lived in a house in San Andrés Totoltepec, also in Tlalpan, and a rented apartment in the Toriello Guerra neighborhood [8].
The increase in tax collection in Mexico is due to people paying their taxes, good tax collection efficiency, and significant increases in the collection of Mexico's value-added tax, income tax, and taxes collected by customs [9]. This has led to a 7.2% annual increase in tax revenue, totalling 3.27 trillion pesos (US $175.5 billion) in the first seven months of the year [9]. This growth reflects the strength of the internal market and greater tax collection efficiency.
References: [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliagalindo/2021/08/15/mexicos-president-earns-10424-a-month-20-times-more-than-the-average-government-official/?sh=60a6d5326d21 [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexicos-minimum-wage-rises-20-percent-2021-01-01/ [3] https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/mexico-says-it-collected-more-taxes-than-ever-before-in-2021 [4] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-says-it-collected-more-taxes-than-ever-before-in-2021 [5] https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/mexico-says-it-collected-more-taxes-than-ever-before-in-2021 [6] https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html [7] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexicos-president-sheinbaum-urges-politicians-live-modestly-2021-08-18/ [8] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexicos-president-sheinbaum-urges-politicians-live-modestly-2021-08-18/ [9] https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/mexico-says-it-collected-more-taxes-than-ever-before-in-2021
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