2024-02-21 17:36:42
In the midst of intense controversy, the draft decree presented by the Ministry of Finance has triggered strong reactions in public opinion this week. The document proposes granting President Gustavo Petro the power to intervene directly in the investment budget, allowing him to approve future periods without having to go through Congress.
In response to criticism, President Petro stated on Tuesday night that “there are only two constitutional powers over the National Budget: Congress, which dictates the law, and the President, who proposes the law and executes it. “Both public powers of popular election.” The president questioned whether the opponents are willing to let the budget be determined by “unelected powers” and whether they propose “ending democracy.”
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The draft decree, published for comments, establishes that investment projects, entities and future periods included in the General Budget of the Nation 2024 must have the approval of the President of the Republic. This proposal would modify decree 1068 of 2015, generating criticism from business leaders, former ministers and former directors of state entities.
Bruce Mac Master, president of Andi and the Guild Council, expressed his rejection, arguing that “subjectivity in compliance with the state’s commitments once again brings uncertainty and concern about the risk involved in having it as a counterparty.”
For his part, the former Minister of Finance and Commerce, José Manuel Restrepo, pointed out that the proposed mechanism “is not needed” and that there are already sufficient instances such as the Conpes or Confís meetings. Furthermore, he considers that this new mechanism “adds one more step to the dynamics of budget execution and future validity, slowing down the executive process unnecessarily.” The proposal has fueled the debate on the distribution of powers and efficiency in decision-making in the budgetary sphere.
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