Report of the Comptroller’s Office on the use of resources for indigenous reservations – Investigation – Justice

Between 2015 and June 30, 2019, the Government turned – through the Ministry of the Interior – more than $ 1.04 billion from the General Participation System to invest in indigenous reservations that are in 29 departments of the country.

However, Only 25.22 percent of the territorial entities (mayors and governorates) managed them properly, which are the ones that mostly received these resources, because in the country there are only 8 certified resguardos to manage those budgets themselves.

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The remaining 61.95 percent of territorial entities had deficiencies that, although they are not generalized in all cases, they do have negative impacts on the fulfillment of investment contracts, since they are irregularities that range from delays in contracting to the absence of project controls and loss of resources.
And 10.62 percent of entities had widespread failures in the use of public resources.

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This was determined by the General Comptroller’s Office in a study, known by EL TIEMPO, which establishes how the resources that should benefit the indigenous population in the country are being administered, which according to the Dane number more than 1.9 million people.

Knowing how these monies are being invested is key, because according to the ‘Inclusive National Employment Report’, poverty in this population is 2.5 times higher than the national total; and according to Dane, sewer coverage only reaches 23 percent of indigenous people and garbage collection, only 25.5 percent.

Therefore, the results of the Comptroller’s Office are worrying. According to his study, the territorial entities signed 3,111 contracts for 919,976 million; However, authorities from 23 of the 29 departments with reservations had deficiencies for not signing administration contracts or not reporting them.

But in addition, the control entity evaluated 812 special allocations of public resources for indigenous peoples, delivered to 215 mayoralties, three governorates and the 8 certified resguardos. Despite all the needs that exist in these communities, of the more than $ 1 trillion assigned to them, they only executed – actually used – 63.39 percent (662,702 million).

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The four main irregularities evidenced by the Comptroller’s Office are: contracts are signed extemporaneously (13.9 percent), weaknesses in the supervision of these contracts (13 percent), unsupported resource payments (12.2 percent) and deficiencies in the formulation of investment projects (5.7 percent).

Due to these problems, the Comptroller’s Office found 760 irregularities, of which 45 could have criminal implications. and 156 would entail a possible detriment of public resources for $ 16,776 million in total.

Of that loss of resources, the widest is in La Guajira, which totaled $ 6,821 million (of the $ 190,657 it received), a loss that would have occurred in the project to expand and clean up the indigenous reservation. The second department with the most losses is Córdoba, with $ 2,659 million, mostly due to the failed agricultural strengthening project.

Then there are Casanare ($ 1,794 million); Cauca ($ 1,063 million); and Amazonas ($ 936 million), among others.

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Some of the reasons why contracts are not made on time, are breached, or disbursements are made without supports is “Due to the weaknesses in the management of territorial entities”, says the study, as well as by “the delay of the safeguards in the development of investment projects.”

The Comptroller’s Office affirms that although most reservations have assemblies, many do not know how to formulate projects, and there is a “deficient identification of the community’s needs that does not lead to improving the living conditions of the indigenous population.

This is because many of the plans are not justified, it is not established who will be its beneficiaries or what goods will be delivered.

In Leticia, Amazonas -for example-, a department that received $ 29,013 million in five years, there were projects that leave the objective of the contract “pending to be established.” Or in Paz de Ariporo, Casanare, contracts were found to buy river resources that are not used today and are damaged.

JUSTICE
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