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The government announces support for the creation of the national water fund
Posted On 09 Jan 2018
Ecuadornews:
According to figures from the owner of Senagua, Ecuador has 3,000,000 hectares of productive area potential. The President said that in recent years there was a debt in the field in health and education.
The President of the Republic, Lenin Moreno, supported the idea of establishing a National Water Fund in the hands of the members of the Irrigation Board of the country. The announcement was made after the irrigators of Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Bolivar and Pastaza presented in the National Assembly the bill to reform the Law on Water Resources. In the proposal raise the need to create such fund, which will serve for the construction of companies for the maintenance of irrigation channels and Andean páramos.
During the meeting with that sector of the Sierra Center, including irrigators and farmers, the President said he approves the need for this fund, but warned that it must be carried out responsibly, through a working table between the National Government and the communities of the country. He clarified that this bill goes hand in hand with the “Minga Agropecuaria Nacional”, promoted by the National Government.
In contrast, David Paucar, president of the National Federation of Water Board of Irrigation, said the fund will have the support of decentralized autonomous governments (GAD).
He said that reforms to the law are necessary, because the violation of certain rights that affect the irrigation water boards is evident. The basic idea is to guarantee food sovereignty. In this regard, the Ministry of Environment will continue with the dialogue to analyze the solutions related to these needs. In addition, the union took the opportunity to propose to Moreno alternatives for the development of agriculture, such as the militarization of borders, in order to combat contraband from Peru and Colombia.
They also proposed that agriculture be named as a strategic sector so that its resources go to irrigation, production, cultivation and export. Humberto Cholango, national secretary of Water (Senagua), recalled that the ministerial agreement 010 was issued a plan for reviewing raw water tariffs and there was arranged, among other things, that the National Fund be worked on the basis of a management model, pondering the protection of water sources in “páramos” and the conservation of the hydraulic infrastructure.
He clarified that the law reform proposal revives the opinions of the Competition Council on the classification of irrigation channels; the strengthening of public-community partnerships; the consolidation of food sovereignty and the protection of the Andean páramos.
He explained that currently Ecuador has a potential productive area of 3 million hectares, of which 1.5 million presents infrastructure with flaws, which are maintained with “mingas” and work. In addition, he added that 980 thousand hectares are irrigated. Moreno, however, regretted that farmers and irrigators have “been mistreated” in recent years and clarified that these -in their management- are a central part of public policies.
The President highlighted the profile of the Vice President As an honest woman, capable and progressive thinking, President Lenin Moreno yesterday described the Vice President of the Republic, Maria Alejandra Vicuña, who was held on Saturday in that position by the National Assembly. In the space ‘The Government Reports’ of the Mondays, the Head of State maintained that Vicuña will fulfill with efficiency “the functions that I entrust to him”. “With this designation and based on democratic institutions, we have closed a difficult and painful time for the country.
With prudence and patience we have overcome a complex heritage, entrenched in the unrestricted respect for institutions, with the truth ahead and with a deep democratic vocation, “he added. In the morning, Miguel Carvajal, national secretary of Policy Management, indicated that the functions of Vice President María Alejandra Vicuña, who was held last Saturday in the National Assembly, are not yet defined. Carvajal said that Vicuña, for now, will continue to lead the coordination of the Plan Casa para Todos. “I hope that in the course of this week it can be defined,” the official said
In addition, he considered necessary that Vicuña should continue to lead the issue of popular consultation and housing. On October 4, when President Lenín Moreno entrusted the Vice Presidency to Vicuña, he gave him the functions of following up on the process of popular consultation and referendum.
Carvajal stressed that the only one that delegations can grant will be the President. It is not yet known when the respective executive decree will be issued. In addition, apart from that, it should be analyzed who will be his replacement in the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (Miduvi), which at the moment also leads it. Yesterday, the first activity that Vicuña fulfilled as vice president was to accompany the chief executive, Lenin Moreno, at the changing of the guard ceremony
Social care
Debt in the countryside
The President indicated that no attention has been paid in the areas of health, education and basic services in the field. “The commitment of our Government is that it is a luxury to live in the countryside,” he said. 1.5 million hectares of the country has irrigation infrastructure with problems.
In favor of the consultation
The water boards at the national level will work in territory to campaign for the Yes in the consultation. (I)
