2024-05-06 03:16:57
The claim for the National Government’s debt brought together the prefects of different provinces and parties in an assembly, who requested a direct meeting with President Daniel Noboa in the face of what they classified as an “unsustainable” situation.
The president of the Consortium of Provincial Autonomous Governments of Ecuador (Congope), Correísta Paola Pabón, led the meeting this Tuesday. She assured that the amount owed amounts to USD 534 million.
“It is a debt that, at this moment, is unsustainable (…). Since October (2023), provincial governments have not received liquid resources. This is the difficult situation that the provinces are going through,” said Pabón.
The prefects called on President Noboa to receive them “as soon as possible” to discuss a payment plan that would boost the economy and generate employment in the provinces. “We recognize that the crisis is a fiscal crisis of the Ecuadorian State, local governments are part of the Ecuadorian State and, therefore, solutions cannot be found if the provincial governments are not listened to,” Pabón added.
The prefect of Napo, José Toapanta, spoke of the support that local governments give to the Armed Forces to confront insecurity. “It is our turn to provide fuel to Army vehicles. “I don’t know if the President knows the reality of the territory,” he said.
In the case of Cotopaxi, the prefect Lourdes Tibán mentioned that she has had to organize mingas to face the consequences of the El Niño phenomenon, amid the lack of resources. Meanwhile, the prefect of Guayas, Marcela Aguiñaga, assured that this organization operates with 200 fewer employees.