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LatinNews Daily - 05 December 2023

In brief: Criticism grows of Guatemala approved budget

*Various think tanks in Guatemala including Fundación para el Desarrollo de Guatemala (Fundesa) and Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Fiscales (Icefi) as well as the country’s leading private sector lobby Comité de Asociaciones Agrícolas, Comerciales, Industriales y Financieras (Cacif) are calling for President Alejandro Giammattei to veto the state budget for 2024. This was approved on 30 November by congress for Q124.88bn (US$15.94bn), up from Q118.17bn in 2023. These organisations have raised multiple concerns regarding the approved budget, ranging from doubts over transparency to its failure to meet basic norms. A Fundesa statement highlights the lack of transparency regarding funds assigned to NGOs by the health ministry (MPSAS). It also questions funds assigned to the communications & infrastructure ministry (Micivi), the subject of long-running corruption concerns associated with the awarding of lucrative contracts. It notes that funds have been assigned to Micivi – which according to Icefi will receive Q8.81bn (up from Q6.58bn earmarked under the initial budget proposal) - to finance works and projects which are not included in the ministry’s plans. Cacif and the think tanks also highlight concerns about plans regarding the issuance, negotiation, and placement of treasury bonds, which have not received the necessary congressional approval, as well as the approval of rules which breach the organic budget law which obliges state institutions to return unused funds to the treasury.

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