Universities will receive $ 1,369 million in 2019

Ecuadornews:

The agreement reached between the Government and the public universities, finallywas reflected in the reforms to the budgetary proforma that the Executive sentto the Assembly, after the observations made.

The document establishes the restitution in proforma 2019 of the budget allocations for public higher education institutions corresponding to the fiscal year 2018.This was also one of the recommendations made by the Economic Development Commission of the Assembly, in the report on the budget for the following year.

The Executive attended this observation of the Legislative and sent the reforms in which it is indicated that in the initial proposal sent in October, $ 1,316.44million were allocated for public universities, while in the modification, $1,369.43 million are contemplated. That is, a difference of $ 53 million.

Assembly man Fernando Burbano, member of the Economic Development Commission, described as”positive” the regime’s decision to comply with the agree mentsreached with public universities and implement the recommendation made by legislators to respect the right to free.

Homero Castanier, legislator of the CREO movement and also member of the commission,maintained that not only is the restructuring of the budget to universities positive, but it is above all “fair”. However, Castanier considers that although the Executive welcomed some of the observations made, nosubstantive issues were taken. He said that his bloc will not support thebudgetary proforma in the debate scheduled for the following week.

With regard to investment in the initial education and high school sector, the Government clarified that the initial proforma contemplated an increase of $ 3,536 million in 2018 to $ 4,102 million in 2019, a difference that will allow for $ 247. 8 million to build 61 new educational units and the repowering of an additional 93. In addition, the 11% increase in allocations for school feeding for an amount of $ 135 million and another $ 67 million in basic education for youth and adults was included. The Economic Development Commission will issue its report and it will be debated in plenary.

Payment to the pension fund is also included Another issue that caused concern in the Assembly was the one of the transfer of resources on the part of the Government, by the 40% of amount of pensions of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS).

During the hearings last November in the Economic Development Committee of the Assembly, the Finance Minister, Richard Martinez, said that the state contribution of 40% to the pension fund should be $ 1,240 million per year. However, Manolo Rodas, a former member of the Social Security Board, said that they were more than $ 1,700 million.

TheAssembly noted that both the Executive and the IESS should establish a paymentmechanism during the first quarter of 2019. The Government accepted thesuggestion and instructed the Ministry of Economy to allocate the resources,with a prior validation of the IESS databases, which establish the amount to becanceled. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/universidades-reformas-presupuesto2019-ecuador