The debate of the General Budget of the Nation (PGN) for 2026 entered a critical phase after the joint economic and camera economic commissions, which were to vote this Thursday, September 11 The global amount of appropriations, suspended the session due to lack of quorum.
All this, after the Third Chamber Commission retired and with itthe more than 15 established propositions were not discussed or voted to modify the amount of $ 557 billion raised by the Government.
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The incident left in the air the process of one of the most important laws of the year and fed the fears that, due to lack of consensus and over time against, the budget ends again approved by Decreteazo, given that the deadline for the joint commissions to approve the amount expires on September 15.
Sabotage accusations
Through her social networks, Senator Angélica Lozano described what happened as an act of sabotage, highlighting that “sabototeo, the commission III of Chamber, firm allied of the government, is not … broke quorum to prevent discussing and approveing budget. What do they play?”; making clear the discomfort of a Congress sector Faced with what they interpret as a deliberate maneuver to delay approval.
The Congress has until September 15 to approve the amount in economic commissions.
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It is worth saying that the lack of quorum not only blocked the background debate, but also prevented that propositions that went from partial reductions of the global amount to deep modifications to the expense and now, with the suspended session, the expectation focuses on itself, there will be political will to resume the procedure before the legal term come.
Among those who criticize more strongly the project is Senator Efraín Cepeda, Who warned that the government is trying to force Congress to approve a covert tax reform within the birth budget, since according to its complaint, the additional $ 26.3 billion raised by the Executive would end up taxing the middle and low classes of the population.
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“What does the Government want $ 26 billion pesos if last year did not execute $ 80 billion and this year has not executed $ 70? The expense for the next year grows by $ 36 billion, then it is only to finance the operating spending, which is nothing other than orders for the provision of the service of people who do nothing to vote,” said Cepeda.
Although at the time the senator announced that the tax reform will vote negatively and, instead, it will support the reduction of the budget by $ 26 billion, as a mechanism to stop what it considers an excess in the expense, this could not be given and Now they must wait if before Sunday the economic commissions are cited again.
The Congress has until September 15 to approve the amount in economic commissions.
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The guilds raise the pressure
The business sector also made its voice feel and from there, the president of the Andi, Bruce Mac Master, described as insufficient any cut of less than the $ 45 billion, sentenceing that “the responsible is a cut of $ 45 billion in the budget, any other figure is a great blow to the homes, workers, entrepreneurs and Colombian companies. A cut of $ 10 billion is a good signal, but it is absolutely insufficient”.
However, in the midst of political and union pressure, the Minister of FinanceGermán Ávila, announced that the Government is willing to a reduction of $ 10 billion in the global budget, which would leave the amount about $ 547 billion.
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At the same time, the Executive was open to adjusting the Financing Law in the same proportion, reducing the collection objective of $ 26.3 billion to $ 16.3 billion and according to Ávila, this proposal seeks to achieve a consensus with Congress, highlighting that “the purpose that has encouraged the government in all this reflection is to have a budget and a financing law agreed with the Congress”.
Thus, the failure of the September 11 session and the lack of consensus makes the attention now focus on the deadline of September 15, since if by then the Budget amount, the Constitution enables the President to issue it by decree.
The Congress has until September 15 to approve the amount in economic commissions.
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The risk of the exit increases with each day that passes without agreement; While in that scenario, the government would have the power to set the amount of the $ 557 billion initially raised, with the consequent political shock and the warnings of sectors that have already questioned the transparency and size of the spending.
Daniel Hernández Naranjo
Portfolio journalist
