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Management / Charter of Citizens' Rights

   
Foreign Investment Committee's Charter of Citizens' Rights PDF(PDF) 76 Kb.

 

BACKGROUND

Presentation

The Foreign Investment Committee is a decentralized State agency, with its own assets, domiciled in the city of Santiago. It reports to the President of the Republic through the Ministry of Economy.

The Foreign Investment Committee is formed by the following authorities:

Economy Minister, who chairs the Committee;
Finance Minister;
Foreign Minister;
Minister for Planning and Cooperation;
Governor of the Chilean Central Bank;
In the case of investment applications in sectors not represented on the Committee, the minister for the corresponding area.

Under Sections III and IV of the DL 600 Foreign Investment Statute, the Foreign Investment Committee is the only agency authorized to represent the State of Chile in approving the entry of foreign capital under DL 600 and in establishing the terms and conditions of the corresponding investment contracts.

For the exercise of its powers and duties, the Foreign Investment Committee has an Executive Vice-Presidency (VECIE), managed by an Executive Vice-President who is the head of the agency and its legal, judicial and non-judicial representative. The Executive Vice-President is appointed by the President of the Republic on the basis of a proposal provided by the Foreign Investment Committee. The Executive Vice-President’s responsibilities include delegating part of these responsibilities, powers and duties to the VECIE’s staff. In the absence of the Executive Vice-President, these powers are exercised by the head of the agency’s legal department as the Executive Vice-President’s deputy. The Executive Vice-President has a staff of up to 22 persons.

The assets of the Foreign Investment Committee comprise the resources provided annually under the public sector Budget Law or other general or specific legislation as well as the moveable and non-movable assets, both tangible and intangible, that it acquires in any form and the income it receives from any source.

Institutional mission

The mission of the Executive Vice-Presidency of the Foreign Investment Committee is “to help position Chile as a highly attractive destination for foreign investment and international business through its role in matters related to the administration and communication of the corresponding legal norms, the development of promotional activities of different types and the preparation of information concerning foreign investment for investors and potential investors”.

Strategic objectives

The objectives that guide the agency’s actions are developed in accordance with the mandate established by Decree Law (DL) N° 600 and with the foreign investment policies drawn up by the government as well as with the institutional goals proposed by the Executive Vice-President to the Foreign Investment Committee. These objectives are:

  • To ensure the correct application of the Foreign Investment Statute in order to safeguard the rights of both the State and foreign investors by communicating the law’s terms and administering related legal procedures: the analysis of investment applications, the signing of investment contracts and the authorization of remittances;  
  • To develop all types of initiatives to communicate, promote, coordinate and implement measures to foster the entry of foreign investment;   
  • To maintain an up-to-date and accurate statistical register of foreign investment under the Foreign Investment Statute by compiling information about contracts and flows under these contracts in order both to safeguard investors’ interests and to prepare statistical reports for public use.  

Strategic products

The following products and/or services are provided for users:

Administration of legal procedures related to DL 600

  • Processing of investment applications
  • Drafts of contracts
  • Maintenance of accounts by case

Promotion of investment opportunities in Chile

  • Publications
  • Presentations related to international business
  • Initiatives abroad

Foreign investment register and statistics

  • Reports on foreign investment statistics
  • Register of movements in investors’ accounts.

Users’ rights

Users of the VECIE have the following rights:

  • To be informed of the procedures for their attention established by the VECIE;
  • To receive complete and accurate information about the services provided by the VECIE;
  • To require that their personal information be managed in accordance with the law and the policies established and published by the VECIE;
  • To receive friendly, courteous and deferential attention, provided in clear and simple language, based on the dignity of persons and State agencies’ duty to serve users;
  • To receive equal treatment with no discrimination of any type either by race, age, gender, state of health or socioeconomic condition;  
  • To be attended objectively in accordance with the principle of transparency in administration of the State and in compliance with the periods of time and opening hours established for providing services and documents;
  • To be informed of the name and post of the person providing attention on behalf of the VECIE;
  • To be informed of the state of progress of an application, enquiry or other procedure;
  • To receive an opportune and clear response to enquiries, complaints and suggestions;  
  • To request clarification of responses received;
  • To present commendations, suggestions or complaints through the official mechanisms provided for this purpose;
  • To present enquiries, complaints, suggestions and observations using the channels provided by the VECIE (in person, by phone or online at http://www.cinver.cl/general/oirs.asp) and to reserve a reply within the period established by law (Law N° 19.880, Law N° 20.285 and DL 600).

Users’ duties

Users of the VECIE have the following duties:

  • To know and respect the procedures established for their attention by the VECIE;
  • To treat the staff who attend them with courtesy and respect;
  • To exercise their rights, presenting complaints and suggestions when they deem them necessary.

Active transparency

Information about the agency’s regulatory framework, its operating structure, staff, financial resources and mechanisms for citizen participation is published in the Transparent Government section of the Committee’s website (http://www.cinver.cl/transparencia_new/index.html).

Procedure for access to passive transparency

In accordance with Law N° 20.285, citizens can exercise their right of access to public information through the Access Request Management System of the Transparent Government section of the Committee’s website (http://www.cinver.cl/transparencia_new/index.html). It is necessary to register and fill out a form to which a reply will be provided within the legally established period. A complete explanation of the procedure is available on the Committee’s website in the same section which contains the full text of Law N° 20.285.

Requests for information can also be presented in person at the VECIE’s offices where numbered forms are available and, as proof of receipt, a stamped and dated copy of the form is provided to the person requesting information. A copy of Law N° 20.285 and of the Procedure for Access to Passive Transparency can be found together with these forms.

Legal restrictions on access to information

Legal restrictions on access to information apply in the case of documents or information that could affect the rights of third parties or when third parties have expressly indicated an objection (Article 20, Law N° 20.285) as well as when information is classified (Article 21).

Mechanisms for exercising rights

In order to exercise your rights as a citizen, you may visit the offices of the VECIE between 9am and 6.30pm or request assistance by telephone or e-mail. The VECIE’s contact details can be found at the end of this Charter in the Additional Information section.

Procedure for complaints, suggestions and commendations

A book for complaints, comments, suggestions or commendations is available in the office of the secretary of the VECIE. Formal complaints must be presented in writing in a letter addressed to the Executive Vice-President and must include the signature and personal details of the person making the complaint. A stamped receipt will be provided or the letter’s presentation will be recorded in the Complaints’ Book. Suggestions and commendations can be presented through the Committee’s website in the OIRS or Contact Us sections.

Appeals

The complaints procedure culminates with the presentation of a complaint to the Executive Vice-President. However, users can appeal to the Transparency Council in cases in which it has jurisdiction, requesting that it enforce their right of access to the information.

 

THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMMITTEE’S QUALITY COMMITMENTS

Quality and timeliness

By law, the Executive Vice-Presidency of the Foreign Investment Committee (VECIE) has a period of ten days in which to issue Certificates for the Remittance of Capital and/or Earnings. Our commitment as regards service quality is that, in normal circumstances, these certificates will be issued within seven days. This service is provided to registered investors in response to a letter presented at the VECIE’s offices together with the corresponding documents. 

Accessibility

The VECIE has a website through which users can obtain information about its legal framework, mission and strategic objectives as well as its activities, organization and budget. The website also allows users to make enquiries through the Contact Us form. A description of the services provided by the VECIE for its users and details of the documents required can be found in ChileClic (http://www.chileclic.gob.cl/1542/propertyvalue-33413.html). The site also has an online system through which users can monitor progress of the eight most important procedures carried out by the institution located at Ahumada 11, 12th floor, Santiago.

Mechanisms for internal evaluation of service quality

The VECIE surveys users’ satisfaction at the end of each year in order to assess the appropriateness, timeliness and quality of the service they received.  

 

3. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Address    Ahumada 11, 12th floor, Santiago
Website    www.cinver.cl
Telephones    562-698 42
54562-698 8027
E-mail     chileinvestment@cinver.cl
Opening hours   Monday-Friday, 9am – 6.30pm
Staff responsible for citizen attention Daisy Kohan G.
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