INCAE holds a Multisectoral Working Table in El Salvador
The Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS) of INCAE and the Consortium for Transparency and the Fight against Corruption carried out in El Salvador on April 20, the presentation of results of several analyzes on transparency in that country, as well such as the proposal to create a Multisectoral Work Table, which will aim to promote an agenda to strengthen ethics and transparency in that country.
This activity follows a multisectoral workshop that CLACDS and the Consortium organized at the end of 2019, where valuable inputs from local leaders were collected and concrete recommendations were generated to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country. This study concludes that some of the causes of corruption in El Salvador were weak institutions, lack of suitability of officials, impunity, lack of ethical and moral training, and discretion. In it, some strategies against corruption are also shared, such as the simplification and digitization of procedures, the strengthening of governmental, private and social control agencies, as well as the approval of a good Public Function Law under international standards, among others.
Likewise, the results of an analysis carried out by CLACDS in recent months on the management of public funds to attend the COVID-19 pandemic were presented, in which opportunities were identified to improve transparency, management and reporting systems. control. It presents an index of transparency regarding the management of public funds comparing the 3 countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America. In addition, two additional studies were presented on the perception of civil society, and experts on the management of these funds and the transparency of the different public institutions in their management and accountability regarding programs to alleviate the pandemic.
This study highlights the weaknesses in the management of the pandemic in terms of public spending, the transparency in its management and the perception of civil society regarding accessibility, the ease of obtaining data, as well as the friendliness of the platforms. In general, it can be concluded that, in terms of our transparency index, El Salvador is the one with the lowest score of the 3 Northern Triangle countries, with government accountability being the indicator with the highest score. low of all indicators. It also shows the concern on the part of civil society about the greater public indebtedness, caused by a not so efficient management of resources, as well as an increase in the distrust of the population in the information provided by the government and in an increase in perception of corruption during the pandemic.
Some of the recommendations derived from the study are to reform FOPROMID, create donation registry mechanisms, protocols for the delivery of financial aid during a state of emergency, have trained personnel and technical advice on public procurement during a state of emergency, as well as how to promote the use of electronic channels and digitization, among others.
CLACDS / INCAE and the Consortium share the vision that the implementation of these recommendations can contribute significantly to strengthening ethics and transparency in El Salvador, as part of a transformation agenda promoted by key actors in the country.
The event was attended by Claudia Umaña Araujo from FUSADES and the Consortium for Transparency and the Fight against Corruption; Octavio Martínez, Director of CLACDS / INCAE; Jessica Estrada from FUNDE and the Consortium for Transparency and the Fight against Corruption; Gilberto Lara, Director of CONEXIÓN; Jaime López, consultant for the USAID Pro Integridad Pública Project; Xenia Hernández from the DTJ Foundation and the Consortium for Transparency and the Fight against Corruption, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors.
If you want more information, you can contact Mauren Esquivel at the mail mauren.esquivel@incae.edu.