Colón Mayor Alex Lee: “The expenses [of mobilization] are to be used. That’s why they are budgeted. They are used. Here everyone walks their communities. Otherwise they will not win again.” The problem with that argument is that it describes an illegal use of public funds for campaigning. Photo by the Alcaldia of Colon.
Comptroller definitively eliminates mobilization
expenses for mayors and representantes
by the Comptroller General’s Office
The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, on the instructions of Comptroller Gerardo Solís, decided to definitively and permanently eliminate mobilization expenses after an administrative, economic and functional study on allocations to mayors and representantes of municipal districts. The measure was communicated by the Comptroller General through Circular No.8-2022-DC-DNFG, addressed to local government authorities across the nation, to the coordinator of Multisectoral Control, to the chiefs, deputy chiefs and supervisors of control in the municipalities.
This study began 15 years after being ordered by the administration of former Comptroller Carlos Vallarino, through Circular No 37-2007-DC-DFG of May 7, 2007. It was not until now that, during this administration, a multidisciplinary team of accountants, auditors, statisticians, and lawyers began its work and concluded with their recommendations.
The institutional team was made up of 37 professionals who, in three weeks of analysis, invested a total of 1,351 hours to complete it. The provisions are based on a Culture of Correction set by the Comptroller General of the Republic so that the local authorities that, at the time the circular was issued, had already approved their respective budgets, so proceeded to make the corresponding adjustments and transfers. Authorities that have not yet approved it must now do so according to the new parameters described in the circular.
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