After the designation of Claudia Lucrecia Cáceres Maldonado, a week ago, by the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (MICIVI) as the first manager of the DIPP, the administrative process must be followed so that it enters into operation, in its different phases, the new entity, which includes the provision of financial resources by the Ministry of Public Finance (Minfin).
For this, a series of processes is required for the minfin to register in the accounting systems to the new entity, as well as the disbursement of the resources assigned for this fiscal year, established in Decree 29-2024, Priority Road Infrastructure Law.
The DIPP results will be reflected in the medium term. The first bidding projects are located in a period of two years, and the execution is expected to end in five years.
From the point of view of public administration, The creation of the new entity involves a series of efforts and the development of tools for its execution, such as the elaboration of special manuals and specific budgetary classifications by the MINFIN and the MICIVI.
It is something that costs to attend due political attention. The person they named has the capabilities. I do not see alarm signs, although I do not perceive that the administration is overwhelmed; Now it will depend on the manager and the leadership he receives, especially from the Minfin and the Micivi, said Julio Héctor Estrada Domínguez, president of the Finance Commission of the Congress of the Republic.
Complex process
The legislator, who was also Minister of Finance, acknowledged that the administrative structuring of the DIPP is complex, so it is necessary to generate categories of contingent liabilities, special guarantees and a series of financial concepts that must be regulated.
Estrada Domínguez cited that a technical team should be dealing with those issues, but is focused on other matters. He stressed that, in the context of everything that is happening, there is no person who assumes that strategy or says “that project is mine.”
“That depends on a leadership issue. If you were assigned to the Minister of Communications, you must have a strategy to generate large -scale projects”
Julio Héctor Estrada Domínguez, President Finance Commission
To disburse the DIPP and that it begins to operate, it is necessary that the minfin believe the administrative code of the institution and its accounting classification, a process that can take up to 90 days. This would mean that resources will be received in September.
Without resources, you cannot hire personnel or study; However, the designation’s deadlines were fulfilled, he said.
Decentralized authority
The parliamentarian recalled that the DIPP will be a decentralized entity, and exemplified that it will work similar to the National Electric Power Commission (CNEE).
He clarified that the financial resources will be assigned in the MICIVI within the state budget, but will have a decision -making authority and specific assignments as a unit within that ministry.
“That depends on a leadership issue. If you were assigned to the Minister of Communications, you must have a strategy to generate large -scale projects,” said Estrada Domínguez.
The DIPP should have received in the first q10 million semester for an operational fund and other Q20 million for the infrastructure fund.
Steps to continue
These are some of the tasks that the DIPP must execute in accordance with the law:
First evaluation of the priority road infrastructure (IVP):
- The members of the DIPP board will define international standards for the evaluation of the state of the priority road infrastructure in July.
- Contracts, tenders or agreements will be made to carry out the first evaluation of the state of said infrastructure, in charge of the manager, in November.
- Procedures in Guatecompras such as use of norms, electronic forms, specific modules and procedures for January 2, 2026.
Fundesa alert about obstacles
Juan Carlos Zapata, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (Fundesa), declared that there is concern, since they have detected that the Directorate of Priority Road Projects is in the process of registration in the Ministry of Public Finance (MINFIN).
He explained that a structural limitation is faced, since the institutional manuals only recognize the figure of a decentralized institution, which does not guarantee the functional, economic, financial, technical and administrative independence that the Congress of the Republic expressly granted.
In his opinion, this reduced classification could denaturalize the legislative mandate, forcing the management to operate under the traditional procedures of the State, which would compromise its ability to execute contracts with agile models, manage via rights and guarantee the timely payment of obligations.