2024 was a year that, although it could have closed better with pertinent decisions at certain times, for experts it leaves a positive balance, given that some crises, such as inflation, were left behind and resumed. the path of growth, despite the sectors that still show red numbers for the economy.
However, it is not yet time to celebrate, since those same study centers They maintain that for the next 365 days, there are still challenges to overcome and those plans can still be carried out and those decisions that were pending in this period can still be made, taking into account that the threats to fronts such as the labor market and the industry remain in force and the country advances thanks to consumption.
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For the Ministry of Finance, in the midst of criticism, there are at least three positive aspects to highlight in the annual balance, as mentioned by Diego Guevara, head of this portfolio, for whom economic growth did not slow down, the cost of Life has eased and there is stability in job creation.
“In 2023, then we were in the valley of the cycle, when we grew 0.6%, this year we are expecting to grow 1.8%, 1.9%, that is, we are going to grow three times what we grew in 2023, That is, 2024 is a good year in growth, in GDP, it is a good year in inflation, with inflation falling, and it is a year with an unemployment rate, let’s say, stable, pre-pandemic levels,” he highlighted.
Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.
Photo: CEET – Néstor Gómez
Guevara Castañeda also referred to the economic reactivation that has been insistently requested from the various economic fronts and pointed out that there is progress and that constant work has been done with the financial sector and the other productive sectors of the country, in order to advance in this roadmap.
“We in this portfolio, in the two years that I have been in the Ministry of Financea, we have always maintained a broad dialogue with the financial sector, with the construction sector, with commerce. I believe that in the end a government must dialogue with all sectors and we have always been willing to listen. We worked with Asobancaria and the Credit Pact and we maintain constant communication with all the unions in the country,” he said.
Take care of the period
On the other hand, the Minister of Finance made it clear that although there has been notable progress in economic matters, they keep their eyes on the challenges that 2025 entails, such as compliance with the fiscal rule, which for his portfolio, as he explained, is a priority. and he will have the full attention of his technicians in the year to begin.
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“I want to insist that we are going to comply with the fiscal rule in 2024. We will actually close 2024 when we already have all the national accounts data in the first months of next year. He reiterated some of the actions of the National Government to meet this objective,” he explained.
In this sense, he asked not to overlook that “this year the Government has made a historic cut of $28 billion, more than 1.5% of GDP, plus efficient but painful management of the annual cash program or the PAC in order to comply with constitutional obligations and send that message of fiscal sustainability that we have maintained in this portfolio in the last two and a half years that we have been here.”
Colombian pesos
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Another of the pending issues that requires immediate attention for the minister Guevara is the price of ACPM, warning that talks with truckers cannot be delayed any longer to reach an agreement to adjust this fuel.
“When inflation is falling, when the rest of Colombians are paying gasoline at an international price, it is not fair that other Colombians, who have even switched to diesel, that is, this phenomenon has had a dieselization of mobility in cars relatives. We cannot subsidize that fuel consumption,” he said.
The Minister of Finance, Diego Guevara, acknowledged that there are differences on this point and that truckers and the government have a different vision of what should be done. However, he closed by saying that taking care of the fiscal front is necessary and Because of this, consensus must be reached urgently.
