Day: April 8, 2022

Digepres presents progress in budget management of the water sector

More than 401,000 public water sector companies are already executing their budgets through SIGEF. The General Directorate of Budget presented the progress achieved by water sector companies that have adopted the online execution method in the first quarter of the year through the Financial Management Information System (SIGEF). This initiative responds to Presidential Instruction No. 8661, issued on April 29, 2021, which mandates that Non-Financial Public Companies must execute their budgets through SIGEF. It is part of the General Directorate of Budget's Institutional Strategic Plan, which aims to strengthen budget management and transparency. In a presentation led by the Director General of the Budget, José Rijo Presbot, and Ana Lucía Burgos, Head of Public Enterprise Services at the Budget Directorate (Digepres), it was announced that, of the eight Water and Sewerage Corporations (CORAA) and the National Institute of Drinking Water (Inapa), four have completed their integration into the Integrated Financial Management System (SIGEF) between January and March. The remaining entities are partially integrated and are working to finalize pending activities so that, between April and June, they can complete their integration into the system and execute their budgets online. Moca, La Romana, Boca Chica, and La Vega are the four corporations currently using the system. Rijo Presbot took the opportunity to reiterate the need to continue complying with regulations and adhering to transparency in the management of public resources, and emphasized the Budget Directorate's support for continuing to promote efficiency and transparency. "There is a commitment from the President, a will, which has our support to continue efficiently resolving the water problem," added Rijo Presbot. Performance Improvements and a More Transparent Process According to the report submitted by Digepres, the expenses of entities in the water sector began to be recorded in SIGEF starting in February with an amount of RD$272.92 million, primarily allocated to contracting services. In March, the amount reached RD$738.83 million, along with a greater breakdown of expenses, such as the construction of hydraulic and sanitary works, payroll, and the purchase of materials and supplies. This demonstrates an improvement in the performance of the entities executing their budgets through SIGEF. The Integrated Financial Management System (SIGEF) is an online tool that allows public institutions to manage their budgets, record their accounting, and authorize payments, serving as a mechanism for transparency in public administration. Wellington Arnaud, Executive Director of Inapa, was present at the meeting. Alberto Rodríguez, Financial Director of the Santo Domingo Water and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD); Andrés Burgos, Director of Coraasan; Reynaldo Méndez, Director of Coraamoca; Wandy Batista, Director of Coraarom; Oliver Nazario, Director of Coraaplata; Félix de la Cruz, Director of Coraabo; Roque Badía, Director of Coraamon; and Vladimir Viloria, General Director of Coraavega.