La Guajira tops the list of departments with the most white elephants

Continuing with oversight to ensure that the country's public resources are invested correctly, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Nation followed up on all departments of the country and found that there are 1,093 unfinished projects in the country. This number of white elephants represents a detriment of more than 6.5 trillion pesos

It was noted that there are five departments that report a significant impact on public resources. La Guajira is the department that heads the list, since there are 64 unfinished works valued at more than 800 billion pesos.

On the list of departments that report effects of concern is Meta, with 72 white elephants representing a patrimonial detriment exceeding 353 billion pesos. It is followed by Cundinamarca, with 109 unfinished works for about 280 billion; the Valle del Cauca, with 104, for about 180 billion; and Caldas, with 19, for more than 305 billion pesos.

It was indicated that, according to the reports of the National Register of Unfinished Works, the sector most affected is that of aqueducts, since there are 132 white elephants throughout the country for this concept, representing a detriment of 343 billion pesos. On the list is still the housing sector, with 105 unfinished works valued at 457 billion and the road infrastructure sector with 96 projects totaling 1.2 billion pesos.

Likewise, the Comptroller's Office assured that there are 85 headquarters of entities that have not been completed and this represents a detriment of 307 billion. In addition, there are 82 unfinished sewerage works, reaching 727 billion.

The supervisory body indicated that it is working to recover these resources. In this regard, he noted that he began to adopt strategies such as Compromiso Colombia, with which he has managed to obtain tax benefits of 23 billion pesos. This is thanks to the revival and completion of works of vital importance to the community that were once on the verge of becoming white elephants.

It was indicated that, by applying a preventive approach, the use of technology and Participatory Fiscal Control, more than 800 projects have been reactivated and delivered. The delivery of Vasquez Cobo Airport, in Leticia, and the airports of Armenia and Pasto was highlighted. Likewise, “emblematic” is the delivery of the Tunnel of the Line, in the departments of Tolima and Quindío.

In La Guajira, indigenous communities were able to benefit from 40 deep water wells. Added to this is the effort made looking for the completion of the Meta road mesh and the Neiva -Santana — Mocoa road.

The CGR has also promoted the reactivation of 251 educational institutions and highway concessions such as Ruta del Sol 3 in El Cesar, Magdalena and Bolívar. In the area of health, one of the main priorities of the Comptroller's Office, the recovery of hospitals in the Departments of Nariño and Chocó and sports venues in the Valley and Meta has been achieved.

It is estimated that the recovery of public works projects that appeared to be lost has helped to improve the living conditions of more than 13 million inhabitants of the country.

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