The execution of the funds of the Departmental Development Councils (CODEDES) has been a frequent questioning during the government of President Bernardo Arévalo.
At the beginning of its management, in 2024, it was pointed out that the delay in the election of governors had delayed the use of funds. However, in the rest of the months the employer was the same and continues in the same way this year.
Until last May 15, the execution of the more than Q12 billion for development projects in the municipalities does not reach 10%, according to the data of the Integrated Accounting System (SICOIN) of the Ministry of Public Finance (MINFIN).
The fund reached that sum because, in 2024, when the budget extension was approved, an increase that doubled the available amount was authorized.
Then, when Congress approved the budget for this year, money was added to the advice, but also that the funds not executed were transferred for drag projects and new works.
The execution follows a slow rhythm and 34 of the 340 municipalities nationwide report execution to zero and another 122 do not exceed 1%.
The department where there are more municipalities without execution is San Marcos, followed by Quiché and Alta Verapaz. They also form that group municipalities closest to the capital, such as Antigua Guatemala, Villa Canales and Mixco.
Some banks have followed up the issue, such as the deputies of Vamos and will, opportunity and solidarity (you). The head of the block, Jairo Flores, indicated that the current level of execution worries, because the benefit of the population is not reflected.
In one of the most recent citations, the minfin authorities assured that, on average, the execution should go between 35% and 40% so that all projects can be completed.
The municipalities that carry a better performance of the investment of the funds are close to those levels.
In that range is San Martín Zapotitlán, Retalhuleu, with 42%; La Gomera, Escuintla, and Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala, with 37%; Pasaco, Jutiapa, 33, and Sayaxché, Petén, 32%.
The deputy Mynor de la Rosa, of the Vamos bench, added that the use of the funds also encourages the economy, because they become sources of employment for the localities in the technical and professional areas.
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The allocation of funds for the Codedes has been criticized during several periods of government for being not very transparent, being subject to political wills and for little effectiveness in the use of state resources.
Deputy Flores insisted that the Executive should not transfer so many funds to the instance for political intentionality, also considering obstacles in the use of these resources.
“We point out that that is why it was not a good idea to transfer funds to the Codedes and that there was a political intentionality,” said the deputy.
In the last 10 years, the execution has not even reached 85%, regardless of the total amount assigned. Although last year was the lowest, with 42%.
Last May, when the budget extension was approved, the inclusion of specific amounts for each municipality was questioned.
Political and civil society voices indicated political and non -technical criteria for that distribution and the development fund doubled for the second semester.
For the distribution of funds to the councils there is a formula that takes into account criteria such as the urban and rural population, human development index, tax collection and extreme poverty index.
However, in the government of Alejandro Giammattei extraordinary funds were assigned and that practice continued in this administration. This additional money is not strictly governed to that formula, which is in law.
“It was not a distribution where objective criteria will be taken into account, such as poverty indicators, extreme poverty, the dry corridor, malnutrition. They were not taken into account, it was the product of their political agreements with different banks,” Flores criticized.
That is why when the time has come to approve the budget for this year, the official deputies again proposed an article with immovable amounts for each municipality, ignoring the slow execution and criticism for apparent negotiations of said funds in exchange for votes.
In addition, they approved in the budget that the funds not executed, which corresponded to more than half, will be used this year, putting a challenge in the technical capabilities of the councils, mayors, governments and even in the different institutions of the Executive.
The Constitutional Court (CC) stopped four articles of that budget, including the contribution to the Codedes. Through the minfin, the Executive presented a budget extension to cover the commitments acquired, which was approved in less than 24 hours.
Bureaucracy
The process of planning Codedes is long and hard months. According to the information of Deputy Flores, it is a procedure of more than 220 steps.
The execution of the works is the responsibility of the mayorships, so that the funds are transferred, it is necessary to sign agreements with the advice through the departmental governor.
Before this, projects are required to be planned based on the needs that community councils raise to municipal councils.
The process of forming by the mayor’s files begins, the corresponding technical studies, legal opinions, guarantees of the institutions according to the type of project and approves necessary. Several mayors consider that the duration of the process to obtain funds for a work is one year.
According to the control portal and disbursements to the Development Councils (CODET), at least two thousand 370 projects are with some pending and one rejected procedure, only of the projects that must be executed this year.
In that sense, Zacapa, Retalhuleu and Totonicapán are the departments that have the most works pending approval. These same departments are neither those that have more assigned budget nor more works.
In a citation of Vamos, the Secretariat of Executive Coordination of the Presidency (SCEP) said that the progress is the responsibility of the edile chiefs, although De la Rosa considers that the responsibility is shared among all the entities.
“The agreements give life to the management, without those cannot sign the contracts of the works to execute,” said the deputy.
Development
Funds must be managed for development projects for communities such as water, sanitation, education, health and infrastructure. The current regulations set percentages for each typology to respond to the real and non -political needs of the municipalities.
Although these can be modified, last year tourist infrastructure projects were also included.
However, that lock is only applicable to ordinary funds, not to those assigned in an extraordinary way.
According to SCEP data for November last year, five thousand requests for education projects had been granted, four thousand for road infrastructure, 1,500 for drinking water and 900 for drains.
Deputy Flores commented that most of the projects are roads, according to the information they have had in sight, which is another issue that worries.
“Most works are neighborhood, rural roads, those who like mayors, but we are worried not to see education and water and sanitation projects, which are the two most important components in which the government should be prioritizing,” Flores questioned.
Programs without support
Members of the National Council of Urban and Rural Development (CONADUR) indicated that for this year one of the sacrificed projects were the comprehensive support centers for women survivors of violence (Caimus).
Only one in Quetzaltenango was included.
“It is not directly interesting from the mayors, and there are always obstacles with the guarantees in the Ministry of the Interior, because they do not follow up,” said Patricia Lopez, representative of women’s organizations to Conadur.