Ecuador decrees 77 states of emergency

Ecuadornews:

The State spends $ 60.4 million in four months in that regime. Processes are reported and controlled after hiring.

There are emergencies everywhere. So far this year, the State reported 77 declarations of emergencies before the National Public Procurement Service (Sercop). This step allows the central government, its companies, ministries, secretariats, decentralized autonomous governments, courts and other entities of the public function to buy goods and services without controls or transparency mechanisms. Moreover, acquisitions are reported after the emergency is over.

Only between January and April of this year, for example, purchases of more than 60.4 million dollars were notified under this mechanism. The amount, however, could be higher because all the operations carried out by the entities have not yet been entered.

Among the declarations that were reported are those determined by the Lenin Moreno government to address the migration crisis from Venezuela or the insecurity in the prisons. In none of these are expenses reported yet reported.

The two emergencies are not the only ones reported from the Executive. In March, the Presidential Military House ordered an emergency declaration to repair the engine of one of the planes used by the chief executive (see subnote).

The insurance of goods and mega-jobs also entered the emergency list, although the Sercop has several mechanisms for contracting insurance. As an example, the Toachi Pilatón hydroelectric project -which has several observations from the authorities- will acquire its contract directly, without bids or supervised processes. The reason? The winter season that affects several provinces motivated the authorities to start the emergency on April 12. There are no reported expenses or estimated date for the completion of the state.

The mega-emergency list is completed with the Daule-Vinces Transfer. On April 2 began the declaration on construction promoted by the government of former President Rafael Correa for a series of failures in infrastructure. There is damage to the retaining wall “in the entrance head of the Vinces siphon of the Daule-Vinces transfer system”.

The declaration does not specify the estimated budget for the repairs, but it is clarified that, tentatively, the emergency will end on June 30. The Public Water Company will be in charge of the necessary purchases for, in the words of the manager of the state, Henry Cáceres, “to overcome the manifest emergency situation”.

Another “minor” emergency that draws attention is the one reported by the Ecuadorian Taekwondo Federation for the purchase of air tickets. On May 7, the emergency began, but although the purchase process had to be fast, the expenditures made with State funds have not yet been reported.

The rest of the 77 declarations correspond to processes of local governments. Municipalities and prefectures initiated emergency processes to attend natural disasters or help citizens who are experiencing situations of vulnerability. (I)

Source: https://www.expreso.ec/actualidad/ecuador-declara-77-estados-emergencia-YL2904818