According to open data from the Ministry of Finance, it is observed that the State has already paid G. 205,097 million (US$ 30 million) for the rental of buildings and premises during 2021 and so far this year (January and February) .
Among the institutions that disbursed the most in this concept is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), which allocates large sums for the rental of embassies and consulates. One of the embassies whose rent is the most expensive is that of the United Kingdom.
QUESTIONS
There are several institutions that are questioned for the rental of premises.
One of them is the Ministry of Education (MEC), which under the administration of Eduardo Petta, was the target of criticism at the end of October 2019.
This, after closing administrative office rental contracts for US$ 2 million. 90% of the buildings were destined for offices and warehouses. Only the remaining 10% was destined for the educational exercise.
At that time, a total of 27 rental agreements were signed, most of the premises are located in downtown Asunción.
The questioning also went through the fact that the MEC has the Excelsior building, located on the streets 15 de Agosto between Presidente Franco and Benjamín Constant, in a state of abandonment.
It was bought by the then Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) under the management of Minister Luis Alberto Riart, for G. 14,045 million.
This land was valued at G. 12,579 million, but because the institution urgently requested the purchase, they ended up paying the mentioned price.
Currently, this building is totally abandoned and neglected, in addition to the fact that it never fulfilled its purpose: to function as Ministry offices.
The MEC is precisely in second place among the institutions that spent the most on the rental of premises with US$ 2.7 million in just two months.
PUBLIC MINISTRY
During the first months of the year, legislators debated the dismissal of Sandra Quiñónez, Attorney General of the State. One of the 13 causes of the accusatory libel presented was precisely certain inconsistencies in its general budget.
On the one hand, Quiñónez requested a budget increase due to the increase in work, although in terms of numbers, there was no increase in investigations.
What is striking is that the Public Ministry itself is in third place in terms of the entities that allocate the most for the rental of premises with US$ 2.3 million, allocated in the months of January and February.
