In March 2023, the National Anti-Doping Unit of Ecuador (UNADE) was established by presidential decree. This is one of the more than 40 secretariats that would have been established by this modality in the administration of former President Guillermo Lasso and that are now in the sights of the current government, after President Daniel Noboa ordered the closure of the Public Business Coordinating Company (EMCO), according to Labor Minister Ivonne Núñez .

Unade, with its own legal personality, endowed with administrative, operational and financial autonomy, was annexed to the Ministry of Sports, and its origin was determined by Executive Order 687 signed on March 8, a document in which it was indicated that the main objective would be “to promote the rules that regulate sports, other competitors and mainly health protection of those who directly or indirectly participate in competitions or sports events.”

EMCO will cease to exist after almost eight years of operation

After the government announced the reduction of state spending by one billion dollars until 2024, the minister points out that they and the president have already identified “which companies were created in the last 24 months”.

On November 28, Noboa requested through Executive Decree 37 the shutdown and liquidation of EMCO, which began in December 2015, in the government of former President Rafael Correa.

A reduction in state costs of 1,000 million dollars goes to public companies: the Minister of Economy explained the numbers and measures

President Noboa ordered the disappearance of EMCO, but from this extinction “more than 40 secretariats that were created by presidential decree collapsed in a waterfall”, and the minister cites Unade as an example. “It’s ridiculous to think that the Ministry of Sports has control doping For top athletes, only they could remember it, who knows when, when that control depends on the International Olympic Committee, not on the Ministry of Sports.”

According to the Executive Decree on the establishment of UNADE, in seven paragraphs, the functions and powers are detailed, among them, “the adoption of internal regulations necessary to guarantee its proper functioning, in accordance with the rules of the International Convention against Doping in Sports, the World Anti-Doping Code, the Law on Sports , physical education and recreation and other valid legal regulations…”

A reduction in state costs of 1,000 million dollars goes to public companies: the Minister of Economy explained the numbers and measures

Regarding the employment situation of people working in entities such as EMCO, which will disappear, the minister points out that they found that the contracts took place periodically. “The law is very clear, the casual contract lasts for one year, so there is a cost of $1,000 million a year in casual contracts in Ecuador.”

EMCO currently coordinates twelve public companies with an executive function: Ecuadorian Naval Shipyards (Astinave), Ecuadorian Electric Corporation (Celec), Strategic Public Electric Company National Electric Corporation (CNEL), National Telecommunications Corporation (CNT), Public Communications Company of Ecuador (Comunica).

In addition, the public company We Create Infrastructura (Creamos Infraestructura), the national mining company (Enami), the public water company (EPA), the Ecuadorian oil fleet (Flopec), the public company Petroecuador, the public company Santa Bárbara and the postal services of Ecuador.