Reducing spending and tightening the belt is perhaps one of the most insistent calls that has been made to the National Government in recent months, since the economy continues to advance at a slow pace, only in July did taxes begin to be collected at the expected levels and the projections for the future are favorable although modest. This is without taking into account the fiscal pressure that changes such as the pension reform, which will come into effect in 2025 and will become increasingly expensive.
These days, the need to spend less has become a recurring debate, as the amount of the General Budget of the Nation for 2025 is being debated, which for now points to $523 billion and will depend on advancing the fiscal rule and a financing law or its defunding could exceed $24 billion. Factors such as the increase in debt and transfers are two of the fronts that weigh the most.
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This has led many analysts to recommend that staff hiring be reviewed and perhaps consider reducing the number of Service Provision Orders, to provide relief to the nation’s treasury. Although the Government has said that this item does not have a great weight on the national accounts, a report warns of increases very strong on the subject during Gustavo Petro’s first two years in the Presidency.
Increase in OPS
On his social media, Bogotá councilman Daniel Briceño compared the first two years of Petro Urrego and Iván Duque’s mandate, finding that during this period considerable resources have been spent and the number of people hired through the service provision modality has increased.
Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic
“The waste and politicking in the Petro government is abysmal. From August 7, 202From August 2 to 29, 2024, 122,096 service provision contracts were signed. An increase of 157% (+74,499) compared to the Duque government during the same period,” Briceño began by saying.
The councilor, who is part of the opposition, also took on the task of reviewing the expenditure that these contracts have meant for the country, finding that during the Petro government it grew by $2.8 billion, since while for that period former President Iván Duque had spent 2.63 billion pesos, the current administration raised that amount to $5.43 billion; marking an increase of 106%.
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“The entities that have spent the most on contractors have been the National Land Agency with 14,210 OPS, the National and Regional Family Welfare with 10,810 OPS, the ICA, which records 6,913 orders, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce with 4,283 and the Ministry of Health, which reaches 3,333 Service Provision Orders,” he reported.
Taking into account the data presented, Daniel Briceño proposed an idea that, since its inception, has already been successful in Bogotá, focusing on what they have called “wearing ties” and betting on talent before conveniences.
Daniel Briceño, councilor of Bogotá
“In Bogotá, from our seat, we proposed eliminating at least 10% of contractors of the 70,000 that Claudia López left. Specifically the ties and friendly quotas that did not contribute anything to the development of the city. Thanks to this austerity measure, today the city has been able to recover $134,000 million that are now destined for a real investment,” he indicated in this regard.
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In this sense, he added that if this model were applied in the National Government, “we would take 543 billion pesos from politics. Half a billion pesos. The country must move forward in austerity. It cannot be that they want to force another tax reform on us while the Petro government continues to squander and give contracts to its friends.”
The city councilman closed by criticizing the financing bill proposal that the Ministry of Finance is currently working on and was emphatic that the solution is not to put more taxes on Colombians, but to understand that There is no money and it is necessary to tighten one’s belt, starting by eliminating unnecessary expenses.
