New Measures Following the Repeal of Supreme Decree 5503

Through Supreme Decrees 5516 and 5517, certain provisions from the repealed Supreme Decree 5503 have been maintained and/or modified.

Supreme Decree 5516 (DS 5516), issued on January 12, 2026, repeals Supreme Decrees 5503 and 5484 and establishes the following measures:

  • Price stabilization for petroleum-derived products, under the same terms as DS 5503.
  • Social measures, maintaining those previously set forth in DS 5503.
  • Increase of the National Minimum Wage, at the same amount and conditions as DS 5503.
  • Modification of the Customs Tariff rate for certain products.
  • Conditions for automatic deferral of specific loans.

Supreme Decree 5517 (DS 5517), issued on January 13, 2026, introduces exceptional measures to ensure fuel and energy supply and to reactivate production. It reiterates the declaration of Economic, Energy, and Social Emergency throughout Bolivia, specifying that these measures are exceptional, temporary, and immediate.

The new decrees do not include provisions related to Macroeconomic Stabilization previously contained in DS 5503 (such as powers granted to the Central Bank of Bolivia for external financing and operations, the Extraordinary Regime for Investment Promotion and Protection, or the Capital Regularization and Repatriation Regime).

Similarly, tax incentives for economic recovery, entrepreneurship support measures, and customs-related facilities (e.g., elimination of the SENAVEX-issued Prior Import Authorization requirement) are not included. The Special Integrated Transition System for Entrepreneurs to the General Regime (SIETE-RG) and provisions on Extraordinary Tax Portfolio Regularization have also been repealed.

Regarding Liberalization and Promotion of Agricultural and Agroindustrial Exports, the decrees do not reinstate the elimination of the Internal Supply and Fair Price Certificate requirement for exports of products such as corn, sorghum, sugar, and meat.

Measures related to Loan Deferrals and Social Programs (such as the Juancito Pinto Bonus, increase in the Dignity Pension, creation of the Extraordinary Protection and Equity Program -PEPE-, and salary increases) remain largely unchanged from DS 5503.

As in DS 5503, DS 5516 establishes a new pricing regime for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and petroleum-derived products, excluding Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Provisions on Efficient Government Control and Expedited Compliance Audits included in DS 5503 have not been maintained.

Similar to DS 5503, DS 5516 maintains a zero percent (0%) Customs Tariff rate until December 31, 2026 for imports of certain products listed in the decree’s annexes.

DS 5517 includes measures for Importation, Sale, and Commercialization of Fuels, maintaining the exclusion of diesel from the Controlled Substances List and from the requirement of prior authorization from the General Directorate of Controlled Substances (DGSC). This measure will remain in effect for one year following the approval of an Administrative Resolution by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH).

Both decrees are effective as of their publication, in accordance with the transitional periods established in their text.

 Contact and Further Information

For more details on the content of Supreme Decrees 5516 and 5517, and to identify the regulatory implications for specific sectors or activities, our team is available to:

  • Address specific inquiries regarding the application of these decrees;
  • Provide support in assessing the regulatory impact on operations, contracts, and existing structures; and
  • Assist with legal compliance and adaptation to the provisions and regimes established therein.

To schedule a meeting or submit inquiries, please contact our legal team at: abogados@baqsn.bo