Funde’s chief executive Roberto Rubio described the statements as “supine ignorance” or a “moral breakdown in his intentions”. Other economists classify it as illegal and not very credible nonsense.
Nayib Bukele’s government intends to spend the entire 2021 public works budget in four months and wait for a new arithmetic in favor of his party in the Legislature to ask for more funding as an “alternative” to the changes MPs have made. They made the spending plan for next year.
“And so that the works do not stop, we will invest what they have allocated for the year, in 4 months”, the president wrote in a summary of a video that explains in which areas the funds will be allocated.
This statement was later supported by the Minister of Public Works, Romeo Rodríguez, who stated in a radio interview: “As the president said, we will use the budget for the whole year in four months. Then, in the new Legislative Assembly, we will ask for the necessary resources to be able to carry out works for the benefit of the country “, said the official.
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This would mean a double budget for next year, at a time when the Salvadoran economy has fallen into recession and the level of indebtedness reaches 90% of GDP. The approved spending plan for next year amounts to $ 7,453.5 million, but has a deficit or financial deficit of $ 1,342 million, which will be financed with loans and the issuance of securities for $ 137.5 million.
A few hours after this tweet, President Bukele tried to explain that the budget for public works will be the one that will be spent in 4 months. “The deputies reduced the amount of the budget for public works and left it at 1/3 of the original. 4 months is exactly 1/3 of 12 months. And 4 months is exactly the time until the entry of the new Legislative Assembly. and replace the remaining 2/3, ”he added.
“Ignorance in supine position”
After this statement, the executive director of the National Foundation for Development (Funde), Roberto Rubio, described this idea as “supine ignorance” because I do not understand that the only way to have another budget for the rest of the year, even if they have a majority in the Assembly , it is about increasing income and this will only be done with debt.
“As is the country and especially if creditors know they want to spend the budget in 4 months, it is a terrible sign. It’s not just about blowing and making bottles, as they say. This is something that, in reality, you can see, the only way is through indebtedness, in the conditions in which you do not have to go ”, criticizes Rubio.
For him, trying to spend the budget in 4 months is almost impossible, it is a sign of ignorance, “especially when it comes to a rather inept government that has not even managed to build the El Salvador hospital. It is not just a matter of money, but of capacity.
“Wherever you see it, it’s not credible,” said Carmen Aída Lazo, an economist and dean of the School of Economics and Business (ESEN), who added that the current administration “still doesn’t know how the state and its processes work.”
For her part, economist Tatiana Marroquín described it as nonsense. “How shameful to be an economist and make these statements. What he says is not only irresponsible and illegal, but also a great ignorance from a fiscal point of view. According to this error, when the budget is approved, do I give them the money bags for the whole year? What nonsense, “he said.