Competence of National Public Power

Article 156

The following are the the competencies of the National Public Power:

1. The international policy and actions of the Republic.
2. Defense and supreme vigilance of the general interests of the Republic, public peace keeping and the proper enforcement of the laws throughout the national territory.
3. The flag, coat of arms, national anthem, holidays, decorations and honors of a national nature.
4. Naturalization, admission, extradition and expulsion of foreign nationals.
5. Identification services.
6. The national police.
7. National security, defense and development.
8. The organization and governance of the National Armed Forces.
9. The governance of risk and emergency management.
10. The organization and governance of the Capital District and the federal dependencies.
11. Regulation of central banking, the monetary system, foreign currency, the financial and capital market system and the issuance and mintage of currency. Drugs, alcohol, and illegal substances
12. The creation, organization, collection, administration and control of taxes on income, inheritances, donations and other related areas, capital, production, value added, hydrocarbons and mines; duties on the importing and exporting of products and services; taxes on the consumption of liquor, alcohol and other products containing alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco products; and any other taxes, assessments and revenues not expressly assigned by this Constitution and the law to the States and Municipalities.
13. Legislation to guarantee the coordination and harmony of the various different taxing powers and define principles, parameters and limitations, especially for purposes of determining the tax rates and aliquot parts for state and municipal taxes, and to create specific funds that ensure inter-territorial solidarity.
14. The creation and organization of land taxes or taxes on rural properties and on real estate transactions, the collection and oversight of which is the responsibility of the Municipalities, in accordance with this Constitution.
15. The governance of foreign trade and the organization and governance of customs.
16. The governance and management of mines and hydrocarbons, the governance of vacant lands and the conservation, development and exploitation of forests, soil, water and other elements of the country’s natural wealth. The National Executive shall not grant mining concessions for an indefinite period. The law shall establish an economic system of special financial assignments for the benefit of States within whose territory the assets mentioned in this section are located, without prejudice to the possibility of also establishing special appropriations for the benefit of other States.
17. The system of legal weights and measures and quality control. Census
18. National censuses and statistics.
19. The establishing, coordination and unification of technical standards and procedures for engineering, architectural and city planning projects, and city planning/zoning legislation.
20. Public works in the national interest.
21. The macroeconomic, financial and fiscal policies of the Republic. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 1999 (rev. 2009) Page 32constituteproject.org PDF generated: 27 Apr 2022, 10:50
22. The governance and organization of the Social Security System.
23. National policy and legislation in the fields of health, housing, food safety, the environment, waters, tourism, zoning and shipping.
24. National education and health policies and services.
25. National policies for agricultural, livestock, fisheries and forest production.
26. The national transportation and shipping system and air, overland, ocean, river and lake transportation of a national nature; ports, airports and their infrastructure.
27. The national highway and railway systems. Telecommunications
28. Governance of postal and telecommunications services, as well as governance and management of the electromagnetic spectrum.
29. General governance of residential public utility services, including in particular electricity, drinking water and gas.
30. Management of border policy with an overall vision of the country, such as to permit a Venezuelan presence and the maintenance of territory and sovereignty in these areas.
31. The organization and administration of justice at the national level, as well as the Office of General Prosecutor and the People Defender.
32. Legislation in the fields of constitutional guarantees, rights and duties; civil, mercantile, criminal, penological, procedural and private international law; election law; expropriation in the public interest or in the interest of society; public credit; intellectual, artistic and industrial property; cultural and archaeological heritage; agriculture; immigration and population; native people and the territories they occupy; labor, Welfare and Social Security; animal and vegetable hygiene; notarial and public record offices; banks and insurance; lotteries, racetracks and betting in general; organization and functioning of the organs of National Public Power and other organs and institutions at the national level; and all matters of national competence in general.
33. Any other matters which the present Constitution may assign to National Public Power, or which by their nature or type come under its competence.

Article 157

The National Assembly, by a majority vote of its members, shall have the power to delegate to the States or Municipalities certain matters under national competence, in order to promote decentralization.

Article 158

Decentralization, as a national policy, must add depth to democracy, bring power closer to the people and creating optimum conditions both for the exercise of democracy and for the effective and efficient Fulfillment of government commitments.