The government of Abelardo de la Espriella has revoked more than 60 contracts signed during Gustavo Petro’s administration and has reported 13 accusations of alleged irregularities. According to presidential spokesman Miller Soto, these actions are part of the liquidation process of the Ministry of Equality.
The government reported that, in the first 10 days of liquidation, more than $20.000 billion annually has been recovered, which is equivalent to nearly 6,600 rental assistance grants for affected families. Soto emphasized that this represents the first results of the entity’s closure.
The spokesman also defended the elimination of the Ministry’s leadership structure, pointing out the suppression of five deputy ministries, a measure that would generate savings of $1.500 billion per year. In addition, the elimination of more than 40 executive positions is expected, which would mean an additional savings of $12.000 billion annually. According to the government, these decisions are part of a necessary administrative purification for the liquidation process.
One of the key points mentioned by Soto was the revocation of contracts that, according to him, were signed at the last minute. Although the details of all contracts were not specified, it was mentioned that one specific company accounted for more than $171.000 billion, while the execution of investments last year was only 5%. The government believes this indicates irregularities that must be investigated.
Soto also revealed that the last minister has yet to return the keys to warehouses containing goods valued at nearly $16.800 billion. In total, six criminal complaints, five disciplinary complaints, and two fiscal complaints have been filed, according to the spokesman, so that authorities can determine responsibilities for the detected irregularities.
The liquidation of the Ministry of Equality progresses amidst administrative decisions and accusations filed with control bodies. The executive maintains that this process aims not only to recover resources but also to reduce operating expenses and dismantle structures that have not demonstrated efficient results in relation to the committed resources.
Source: www.infobae.com
