Alexander López Maya, director of the National Planning Department (DNP), warned that a significant amount of resources from the General System of Royalties have been given as executed, although the works are not finished or functioning. The works in progress show resources for $12 trillion that could be considered lost, according to the director.
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The entity reported that a follow-up was carried out on the projects with SGR resources from 2017 to 2024, showing an approval of 19,393 projects for $68.54 billion. Of these, 12,106 projects were declared completed for $28.8 billion.
However, López Maya said that thisThere are about $5 trillion that can be written off.
He said that 277 projects already completed for $1 billion did not meet the full scope that had been originally planned. Similarly, other 58 projects with resources of $228 billion were concluded although the entities in charge of the works decided not to continue the execution due to technical, legal and administrative irregularities.
In addition, there are another 2,133 projects worth $3.5 billion that were completed even though they did not present satisfactory completion and delivery certificates.
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“We have found that There are $5 billion practically lost and that do not appear from projects finished“, said Lopez Maya.
Now, the point that most caught the attention of the DNP director was about the projects that are still in execution and that, according to the entity’s analysis, show serious irregularitiess, which also affect a total of $12 billion that, according to Lopez, are “practically lost”.
The entity conducted an analysis of the 6,631 projects that are still reported as under construction and found that In 2,094 of these cases, there is evidence of a lack of compliance with contractual commitments, which total $12 billion..
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These showsn three types of defaults, of which $9 billion from 1,497 projects have expired execution deadlines. Another 301 projects worth $1 billion have all contracts suspended. Finally, there are 296 projects worth $2 billion that have both expired deadlines and all contracts suspended.
Royalties
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For this reason, López Maya called on control entities such as the Attorney General’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office to carry out greater surveillance of the execution of these resources that are paid for by mining and energy companies.
“Just to give you an idea, with this $12.1 trillion at risk, lWe would be able to definitively and comprehensively solve the access to water for all the people of La Guajira, we could build the aqueduct and sewerage system for Quibdó, the Buenaventura aqueduct and sewerage system, the Tumaco aqueduct and the drinking water supply of the entire Urabá“, said Lopez Maya.
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The executors
The National Planning Department’s research also drew attention to Who are the companies, consortia, or people that are executing the resources? of the projects.
Most of the project capital is concentrated in Municipalities that have 38% of the resources assignedfollowed by other executors that have 32% and departments that have 30% of the money.
In total There are 1,714 designated entities registered for the execution of these amounts and their respective plans. However, Maya stated that these They have signed 138,862 contracts with third parties.
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The Most of these agreements were signed with natural persons, representing 42% of the total number of contracts. made by the executing entities. Likewise, 31% of these were signed directly; 32% through a merit-based competition, minimum amount, abbreviated selection, direct non-profit; 29% through special regime contracting and 8% were through public bidding.
According to the director of the DNP, “This means that they were created but not executed, but outsourced.” the plans.
In fact, he also noted that There is an “atypical” concentration in the category of “other executors” (public service companies, territorial association schemes and mixed funds). According to López, This allowed these entities to “evade the general principles and rules of state contracting established in Law 80 of 1993, Law 1474 of 2011, among others”.
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He also stated that these They can hire the supervision of the projects they are carrying out“generating risk on the allocation of resources from the General Royalties System”.
Regarding these cases, the DNP stated thatand control procedures were opened for the projectsHe also said that in some cases the Prosecutor’s Office has been informed so that they can investigate.
Lopez also called for the creation of a special team of prosecutors.to address this misappropriation of resources”.
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He asked regional entities, such as municipalities and departments, in charge of the projects to try to continue with the works, that can be restructured to advance their development.
Daniela Morales Soler
Portfolio Journalist
