Businesses in Southern Quintana Roo Face Account Freezes by IMSS

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) has intensified its auditing actions against formally established companies, to the point of freezing the bank accounts of those with outstanding debts in Worker-Employer Contributions (COP) and Retirement and Old Age Withdrawals (RCV) without the need for a prior court order, but solely based on the Administrative Execution Procedure (PAE).

This prevents bank deposits to guarantee payment of debts or to withdraw and move resources, which has led to paralyzing business operations, denounced Josué Osmany Palomo Hoil, president of Coparmex Chetumal, who described the measure as ruthless. He also accused the institution of focusing on a witch hunt against business owners instead of improving the quality of medical services they provide.

“One of the issues affecting us greatly is how the IMSS is currently harassing formal companies. It is a ruthless case when the service is terrible. They go to Bacalar and demand that they be up to date with their contributions, but there is not a single health center provided by social security. The same happens to us in Majahual and in the communities, and right here in Chetumal. It is a brutal, exaggerated demand for payment of worker-employer contributions, because they also charge the worker a portion, and they do not go to social security because the service is terrible. So the collection method is inconsistent with the service provided,” said Palomo Hoil.

Although the IMSS acts when the taxpayer has not responded to prior notices or presents firm debts, even in cases related to the lack of reporting in specialized service contracts, the business leader stated that there is no sensitivity or empathy for the serious difficulties that applying such measures causes for companies and, consequently, for workers.

The same occurs, he said, with the payment of the 13% increase in the minimum wage, where in many cases it has been agreed with the worker how to cover it due to the lack of resources of many companies. However, social security is not allowing any agreement and imposes high and unpayable fines, which force business owners to even close their establishments.

“We are facing the salary adjustment well, as long as it is not a witch hunt, because we can agree with the employee, but social security arrives and tells you why this or why that. So we ask that they have a little sensitivity so that we can continue paying and not what happens, that with a single unpayable fine they force us to close. The IMSS has been freezing accounts for many years, and many business owners have closed due to frozen accounts, so they do not even let you work anymore,” he emphasized.

He highlighted that the IMSS has acted against several sectors in the south of the state, estimating an impact on 5% of large companies, which represents a large number of businesses with workforces of 5 to 10 people that had to close due to problems with social security.