Bolivian fiscal oil deposits has been in the eye of the storm for several months. Not only is it that gasoline and diesel has lacked in the country; Not only is there questions to traders that import these fuels, now it is also because it is the reference of the lack of austerity in times of economic crisis.
According to its own financial statements, the state oil company tripled salary spending in the last decade. He went from using 380 million Bolivians for that purpose in 2014 to 1,524 million Bolivians in 2023. It must be understood that in 2014, the oil rent was at its best and there was high production, they were the times of bonanza. But in 2023 there was already a crisis, with decline in production, without exploration or new investments to sustain income for the national treasury.
What explanations are there for this situation? The question is crucial, taking into account that the State is lacking for liquidity to buy gasoline and diesel abroad, but now it is evidenced that there are resources to pay salaries and wages to personnel, which is excessive, given the conditions of the state oil company.
According to YPFB president, Armin Dorgathen, there are 2,700 officials in the entity, although he did not specify whether they are only a form or include those who have a contract online. According to Iván Lima, former Minister of Justice, the staff of this state company has about 8,000 workers and among them about 100 communicators. The head of the state company says that the communicators are 20.
While in 2014 the salaries represented only 0.7% of the total operating expenditure, in 2023 that percentage rose to 3.45%. This change reflects a transformation in the company’s cost structure, where salary spending gains prominence at the expense of other items such as goods, services or investment.
The report does not detail whether the increase is due to a growth of the form, individual increases or internal restructuring. However, analysts consulted indicate that these types of sustained increases may be due to both mass contracts and a typical salary policy of public companies, where adjustments do not always respond to efficiency criteria.
The reality of YPFB then cannot be disconnected from the context that the country is experiencing. There is an obese state -owned state that becomes a load before a solution, it also does not offer long -range exits to the lack of fuels in the country. It must be noted that the lack of diesel and gasoline has already caused an increase in inflation and an important loss for other sectors of the economy. Why then have to endure that they have so much expense in salaries and wages?
While the data is in the financial statements and YPFB does not talk about the issue until others put it in evidence, it is an affront with the country that this company, which should be focused on efficiency by responsibility with the country, throws these figures at such a critical moment with Bolivia.
