The government is cutting the 2024 budget by $2 billion

He The National Government has reduced the general government budget for 2024 by $2.064 millionwhen the Cabinet Council approved the adjustment, this Monday, leaving it at $30.690 million.

This budget remains higher than this year, at 1.808 million dollars6.2 percent, the Presidency of the Republic reported in a press release.

Which institutions had budget cuts?

According to the statement of the Executive Board, The National Assembly was reduced by $56.8 millionwhile on The Decentralization Authority was $50 million.

Major cuts were expected in these two institutions, due to the political nuance with which their budgets have been managed in recent yearswhich received countless complaints.

The Ministry with a significant reduction in the budget was Economy and finance, with 207 million dollarswhile the one from The Presidency received an adjustment of $31.8 million.

Other subjects whose budget was reduced are, among others, Ifarhu ($50 million), Ministry of Public Works ($112.5 million), Unachi ($14.9 million).

Except, Carlos González, Deputy Minister of Economyhe explained that the 2024 budget envisages the construction of a new oncology hospital in phase 1 and the Metetí Hospital, Darién.

As for Oncology, the citizens expressed dissatisfaction because the tender for the new hospital was canceled and By 2024, the institute had suffered budget cuts.

In the meantime, Meteti Hospital It is part of a group of buildings that the IBT company stopped building and that negotiated an exit to avoid arbitration.

Hospital Colón, which is part of this group, is already being built by another consortium, doc Nothing was known about the Bugaba hospital.

He Minister of Economy, Héctor Alexanderreported that the increase in the budget for the education sector to 7% of GDP, as established by Law 362 of February 2, 2023, is maintained with a formulated adjustment.

Furthermore, debt service rises to $1,100.4 million.

Both increases, together, are higher than the increase in the 2024 budget ($1,808.1 million) in connection with the amended budget for 2023.

If these increases do not existthe modified budget for 2024 would be lower than the current budget for 2023, Minister Alexander said.

The owner emphasized the impact that special laws in the budget. The wage increase due to the special laws represents a cost on the state payroll of $4.560 million over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024, he said.

He The Executive Committee must convene an extraordinary session of the Assembly approve this budget.

He Budget Committee Chairman Benicio Robinsonhe said that the first budget presented by the Government was not returned, so the Executive has to withdraw the project before presenting a new one.