This week, the current management of royalties in Colombia was in the news, after the Comptroller’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office issued several alerts regarding the threats to these resources, especially from corruption, although also from the same lack of knowledge of the regions regarding how to articulate projects to use them.
This money, which is nothing more than a mechanism that the State has to efficiently use the income that comes from the exploitation of the country’s non-renewable natural resources and take it to the municipalities and departments to convert it into development strategies, according to the control entities, is not fulfilling the social goal for which it was intended.
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According to the Attorney General’s Office, although they are a key tool for distributing wealth and are currently on the agenda because there are proposals to reform them, this is normally an issue related to corruption problems. and poor management, which prevents them from translating into tangible benefits for communities.
Royalties.
THE TIME file
One of the main deficiencies in the management of royalties that this authority notes is the lack of training in the regions. Often, the territories do not have the necessary training to develop projects focused on renewable energy, reforestation and other key sectors. In addition, the lack of efficient control mechanisms has allowed resources to be misused, without generating the expected positive impact in the most vulnerable areas of the country.
This was compiled after audits carried out in the regions, where they have discovered numerous fiscal findings and deficiencies in project planning, highlighting the need for greater vigilance. They also argue that it is essential to strengthen control mechanisms to ensure that royalties meet their objective of improving the quality of life in the regions.
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In a new statement issued this weekend, the Attorney General’s Office said that at least $858 billion in resources from the General Royalties System could be recovered thanks to the entity’s preventive and disciplinary action and called on the government to implement stronger and more efficient control mechanisms.
Attorney General Margarita Cabello.
In this regard, Attorney General Margarita Cabello explained that this year The entity has issued 14 statements of charges related to irregularities in projects financed with royalties, which are subject to disciplinary sanctions; as well as 102 investigations and 31 preliminary inquiries involving 301 people who may be involved in acts of corruption.
“It is necessary to open the debate on how these resources have been used and identify why they have not fulfilled their purpose and asked the Government to participate more in the coordination of local investments and technical assistance to regional administrations in the management of the $31.3 billion budgeted for the current biennium,” said the official.
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Finally, he drew attention to the importance of promoting the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, whose contribution to the system totaled more than $18.5 billion in 2023, so that these resources finance projects to contain the climate crisis and adapt to change.
“It is key to focus more of these resources on renewable energy, reforestation, ecotourism, rural electrification with solar energy and protection of watersheds, since between 2021 and 2024 only 35 environmental allocation projects worth $114 billion have been approved,” explained the Attorney General.
As long as these issues are not regulated and worked on carefully, For the Attorney General’s Office, cases of corruption such as those seen this year will continue to occur, resulting in lost opportunities for regions to grow, overcome poverty and close the social gaps that exist in the country.
