The government has received an advance of almost $200 million in income tax from large companies, which are also carrying out other actions to adjust the “waist” of the state, which have already begun in Petroecuador, according to Minister of Economy and Finance, Juan Carlos Vega.

The official pointed out that, after receiving the fiscal fund “in a panic situation”, in the first days of November and during December, they managed internal liquid alternatives with “great responsibility” that enabled them to cover the salaries of the police, army, and doctors.

Gold sales and crude oil-backed loans would be avenues for short-term financing in January

“We had almost $200 million in corporate tax advances from companies that were doing well and are ready to support the Government. “We issued internal debt with the support of the financial system, including the cooperative system,” Vega said this Wednesday, January 3, in FM world.

The minister indicated that the possibilities of adjustment in the public sector are being evaluated. On how to do that if the state spends $10,000 million on salaries for 490,000 servers, Vega said it’s a “very heavy burden,” and said they discovered a large number of temporary contracts made at the last minute in various government agencies, public companies, even within the same ministries. “Finally, it’s a very painful situation, because they are people, they are families, who really evaluate with great responsibility how to protect mothers who are the heads of the family.”

Salaries in CNEL are 800 and 1,200 dollars, and in CNT the maximum is 5,635 dollars, according to the company’s committees, which clarify that no one earns more than the president.

The state adjustment, according to Vega, would mean about $1,000 million in annual savings, and not necessarily all of it would be in layoffs, but rather in increasing the efficiency of companies. “There are inefficient, money-losing public companies that could disappear if they don’t have a purpose or eventually become more efficient.”

And, in this context, he said that they started with “a large public company owned by the Government”, Petroecuador, where “there is a lot of waste”, and what they are doing now is “taking very drastic measures”. “We discovered a plane flying to and from people who worked in Esmeraldas and lived in Quito; such things that have already been cut. There is a lot of waste of resources on unnecessary travel, overstaffing in some areas. As when you enter any company, you have to see that the processes are efficient, that the resources are efficient and in that sense take corrective measures with the collected information,” he said.

The minister indicated that some of the corrective measures in Petroecuador have already been implemented. “I heard from the Ministry of Energy that a regular manager is now being appointed, who will be there for a long time. Lately we have seen a lot of turnover in the management of Petroecuador; So that will allow for more stability.”