The merge of large ministries will take 90 days
Ecuadornews:
The decree for the optimization of the State awaits the signature of the President. Mideros explained that the institutional framework is adjusted to current needs. The integration of the largest ministries, as part of the actions for the optimization of the State, would be finalized next August.
This was confirmed by Andrés Mideros, Secretary General of the Presidency, in an interview with EL TELÉGRAFO. In the course of these days it is expected that President Lenin Moreno signs the corresponding Executive Decree, which, indicated Mideros, will establish a deadline of ninety days for the execution of said processes. In that time the current Ministry of Sports will be integrated into the Education portfolio and will form a single institution. The same will happen with Hydrocarbons, Energy and Mining.
Another great merger is part of the elimination of the Ecuadorian Vocational Training Service (Secap) and the Technical Secretariat of the National System of Professional Qualifications (Setec). The functions of both institutions will be assumed by the Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (Senescyt).
Due to the size and responsibilities that this institution will assume, it is analyzed to transform it into the Ministry of Higher Education and Training, its holder will be Augusto Barrera. There are around 26 institutions that will undergo mergers or closures, according to the economic program. It will mean the elimination of duplication of functions, which implies reduction of personnel. Mideros did not give estimated figures of the impact. He explained that the administration of the State is in a new facet that, plus the need to lower public spending, forces to adopt those decisions. “Institutionality is transformed according to what is needed of it. It is not static. It does not exist forever but has to respond to social needs and public policy. ” He denied that the State had been “obese”, since according to ECLAC studies, with a cut to 2015, in Ecuador, 9.5% of the Economically Active Population (PEA) were public servants.
The figure places the country below states such as Argentina (18.5%) or Panama (15.5%), but is above the neighbors Peru (8.6%) and Colombia (3.9%). What is sought is to do the same, but spending $ 1,000 million less per year, as promised by the optimization strategy. Despite the austerity, Mideros clarified that this does not entail the paralysis of works or services; On the contrary, he assured that next year new educational units and hospitals will be built. Until 2021, the closing of insignificant institutions of the previous government is planned.
One of them is the public company Yachay, responsible for the construction of the City of Knowledge, in Urcuquí (Imbabura), where the University is located. “Yachay was a dream that mobilized a large part of the Ecuadorian citizens. Unfortunately things went wrong, especially in construction, that is more than proven, “he said. The public company will continue operating until the second half of 2020. It will focus on resizing and finalizing the construction of the City of Knowledge. The business incubation project will go to the Ministry of Industries and Productivity.
More details
Secretariat All of a Life
The Technical Secretariat of the Plan One Life will cease to exist because it fulfilled the design and implementation of the missions Manuelas, Mission Tenderness, My Best Years and others. The programs will continue to function in different ministries.
22 sectoral ministries are projected until 2021. Currently, these entities are 27. Strategic Ecuador The public company
Ecuador Estratégico
Will disappear in 2020 when it finishes the projects it has underway. Later, the State Bank will manage the resources coming from the anticipated royalties.
In three years the State spent $ 73 million on toners
Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 3,616 public institutions carried out 167,559 hiring processes for more than $ 18,000 million in goods, services, works and consulting, according to the Public Purchases portal.
The Public Expenditure Observatory of the Citizenship and Development Foundation (FDC) analyzed the figures and found that 67,241 goods acquisition processes were carried out, with predominantly $ 421 million in general-purpose pharmaceutical supplies.
But it is striking that the second strongest item is the purchase of toners for printing for $ 73 million.
At the discretion of Estefanía Celi, coordinator of the Observatory, this type of expenditure shows the excess of bureaucracy, although there are provisions and even a bill in progress, to reduce the red tape. He also commented that there is a lack of transparency and ease to access the data.
In services, the strongest item is that of engineering for $ 661 million. Advertising contracting covered $ 38 million. The most expensive consultancy has to do with the Esmeraldas Refinery with $ 29 million. In works, the most expensive, $ 197 million, was the construction of the Government Platform. Seven of the fifteen main suppliers are Chinese companies and a consortium with the participation of firms from that country. (I)
Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/fusion-ministerios-ecuador