The health sector is one of the most coveted by corrupt groupsaccording to the data available to the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGC), which has identified some phenomena through its controlled municipality program.
This modernization project in public control, which was serving a year, has 774 vigilantes that, through an application, visit public units.
The health sector is one of the most reports, so the CGC will present in August a specialized report on alerts issued with this program.
In addition to the health sector, the educational area is another area in which monitors have detected irregularities, by reporting a “considerable” amount of teachers who do not teach classes.
Frank Bode Fuentes, Comptroller General of AccountsHe explained that the data collected in a year of operation of the program reflects that corrupt practices, far from decreasing, are increasing.
How did you receive the Comptroller General of Accounts?
I received the CGC as a traditional entity, from the point of view of inspection. I was auditor and, in the audit processes, between 1,500 and 1,600 annual visits were made. That is the comptroller I found.
Where did you plan to direct the institution?
All part of the strengthening of the internal control system, since article 1 of the Organic Law of the Comptroller General of Accounts, in its last paragraph, establishes as one of its functions to ensure the quality of public spending. And that quality must be observed from the budget behavior.
When reviewing this behavior, it is warned that 90% of the budget is allocated to salaries of public officials and employees. From there, we generate the strategy of the controlled municipality program. Today we present in 7,200 places a day.
What have been the main challenges to control?
The first is that The CGC arrived latewhich was returned by a punitive entity, when its main function is to ensure the quality of public spending. Therefore, a strategy was generated to strengthen the internal control system with new general and technical norms, and three environments were defined: preventive, detective and corrective.
If we have a punitive entity, where is the quality of public spending? If I dedicate myself to report, what message transferred to officials? On the other hand, if the approach is preventive, we can point out from the moment if a tender does not proceed or if an expense is poorly oriented.
The population expects complaints, but a complaint does not fix anything. An example is Decree 21-2022, denounced for more than Q7 billion. The works are under reserve of the Public Ministry, they cannot be touched.
How much external resistance is there in inspection?
It is strong, because the controlled municipality program has given a new approach as a strategy to strengthen internal control.
Last year we reduce from 68% to 10% the number of teachers who did not work. That is quality of public spending. The monitor verifies in real time if the teacher is teaching.
We have found teachers in their homes, in stores or in markets; Some left the schools closed with padlock. This program allows a teacher to teach and that translates into better educational quality for children.
We also detect that the school renovation bags carried rotten vegetables, that the pounds were not complete and that the prices were overvalued. For example, 1 thousand pounds were assigned for 1,300 children: some child would not receive food.
How was the idea of the controlled municipality program born?
I had to live it in my own flesh. In a football game, one of the players crashed. When attending the nearest health post, we realized that the nurses arrived only every 15 days. In another place, we find a similar situation.
Control municipality is giving us key data: About 20% of the public administration does not attend daily for permits, licenses, or disabilities of the IGSS. From the remaining 80%, we must ask ourselves who really work, because there are employees who do arrive, but do not work.
Some cases that highlight detected with this program?
In San Marcos we detected 10 doctors who since 2012 did not get to work. In San Pedro Sacatepéquez, bathrooms that reported Q84 collected daily, but according to monitoring, they were until Q2 thousand 300 a day.
If you improve the constitutional, there is more development. Therefore, the CGC must be an ally of development.
Now we go behind four large mayors, to send monitors and verify if the budgeted in income corresponds to what is reported. Not to report, but to improve municipal income.
In Huehuetenango there was a forgotten corpse for two years in the hospital morgue. Also a homeless did not have to buy a soap and a wound was infected. The monitor bought the soap, and the doctors attended it.
White sheets just shake them; They do not apply chlorine. It is something that is stolen. At that level, corruption has come.
How many reports has issued the controlled municipality program?
We have issued 795 thousand alerts. Therefore, this year we will present for the first time a report on the health sector, both of the IGSS and the Ministry.
Doctors who do not work were identified, stolen medications and vegetables in poor condition in hospitals.
Corruption has not decreased; It has increased. Where is? In direct and low -amount purchases.
Only two aspects decrease corruption: principles and values, and strengthening the internal control system. There is no more.
We are transforming the operation of the CGC with this system, because there are numerous small purchases and people who lend themselves to that situation.
What are your future plans? Would you choose a position of popular election in 2027?
If I were with a political party, I would leave the Comptroller in a limbo, it would go from technical entity to politics. My vision is to continue working on my profession from some advice or control, but not as mayor, deputy or in any other public office. I am oblivious to any political issue.