Draft bill 170.

Summary.

The draft bill establishes a career and pay scale for Food Science and Technology professionals serving the State. It covers those working in public institutions, autonomous and semi autonomous entities, municipalities, and organizations providing services to the State. Its objectives include setting a salary scale, developing occupational profiles based on the functions described in Law 46 of June 24, 2015, and designating June 7 as the profession’s national day. It defines categories by years of service, levels by academic qualifications, and the salary index by position, category, code and base salary. It also defines food for purposes of the bill and sets out principles of nondiscrimination, empowerment, sustainability, participation, collective health, growth and human development.

The bill recognizes these professionals as health personnel and assigns them functionally to the Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance Directorate (Dirección de Control de Alimentos y Vigilancia Veterinaria). It charges the Office of Organization and Institutional Development (Oficina de organización y Desarrollo Institucional) with regulating their functions and operations, and provides for a Food Science and Technology Department (Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos) within the Food Control and Safety Subdirectorate (Subdirección de Control e Inocuidad de Alimentos). The scale takes account of levels, categories and functions. It distinguishes university technical qualifications, bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate qualifications or specializations, master’s degrees and doctorates, as well as initial departmental, institutional, regional and national management positions.

The technical level requires a university technical diploma, three (3) or more years of study, and professional certification from the Health Technical Council (Consejo Técnico de Salud). The bachelor’s level covers Food Science and Technology graduates licensed by that Council and food engineering professionals licensed by the Engineering and Architecture Technical Board (Junta Técnica de Ingeniería y Arquitectura). Occupational profiles are tied to Law 46 of June 24, 2015 and the employing institution’s needs. The postgraduate, master’s and doctoral levels require the corresponding degree, authorization issued by the Public Health Technical Council (Consejo Técnico de Salud Pública), and work in the field or area of the qualification. The Food Science and Technology Committee (Comité de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos) would certify membership in the professional association named in the bill and endorsement of the degree for reclassification.

The Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud) and that association would review the salary scale every three years, considering the position’s responsibilities, academic level, cost of living and years of service; agreed improvements would take effect through a resolution. Categories would refer to the agreement of October 13, 2015 among the Ministry of Health, the Social Security Fund (Caja de Seguro Social) and the coordinating body of health professional and technical associations named in the bill, its addenda or a later updating agreement. All four management positions require 5 years of service at the specified professional levels, together with knowledge and experience; some also require academic competence. Professionals already holding management posts when the proposed law takes effect would be counted as holding an Initial Management Position. The Food Science and Technology Committee and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas) would agree on the salary scale. Vacant management posts would be filled by competitive selection. The Ministry of Health, through the Food Sciences and Technologies Committee (Comité de Ciencias y Tecnologías de Alimentos), would regulate evaluation procedures, and candidates would have to be entered in the relevant professional register.

Lastly, the bill designates June 7 as the National Day of the Food Science and Technology Professional, within the observance established by resolution 73/250 of the United Nations General Assembly (Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas). It provides for recognition events and food safety and food security activities coordinated by the Ministry of Health and state universities, participation by businesses and organizations, and nationwide publicity by the media. The proposed law would take effect on the day after its promulgation. Its provisions would concern the named public health, finance and employment bodies, food sector professionals, educational institutions, private businesses, nonprofit organizations and media outlets.