– Among the projects there are houses, roads, educational centers and even a scholarship plan that would benefit at least 16 thousand people.
– The Attorney General evaluates preventive and disciplinary actions to guarantee the financing and delivery of the works.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation detected a high risk of non-compliance in five megaprojects that are being carried out in Quibdó, Chocó, financed with $86,000 million from the General System of Royalties and whose delays and cost overruns are affecting at least 100,000 inhabitants.
The most delayed work is the Center for Technological Development of Wood, which is being built by the Technological University of Chocó under the supervision of the government, whose progress does not exceed 22.1%, despite the fact that the stipulated date for delivery was on past May 31, 2023.
This project, whose cost amounts to $23,050 million, should be permanently benefiting at least 10,000 people, including students and businessmen in the timber sector, in the articulation of the productive chains of the areas dedicated to forestry production, in such a way that the value is promoted. Added to the adoption of technologies and innovation processes, through lines of research and development, it ensures the objectives.
However, the Royalties Monitoring Group (GES SGR) found that, due to failures in the soil studies, the works were suspended since last February and it will be necessary to invest more money to solve the structural errors that occurred.
Another project at high risk of non-compliance is the ambitious scholarship plan, for $42,119 million, to train highly qualified professionals, at the doctoral, master’s and research initiation level (Young Researchers), with the capacity to manage regional development processes based on of science, technology and innovation.
According to the review made by the GES-SGR, the biggest risk facing the project is running out of resources, taking into account that it was formulated in 2012 with an exchange rate well below the current one. In this sense, the resources available for scholarships that to date have not been awarded for doctoral studies abroad could be below current study costs and maintenance values.
Homes in we will see
Two grouped housing projects for indigenous communities present deficiencies in the adequacy of pedestrian paths for their population.
The first, for $2,635 million, for the construction of 51 houses to relocate the same number of families (223 people) from the El Veinte indigenous reservation in Quibdó.
Despite being already built, the urban planning and construction license was granted after the start of the execution of the works and these did not include the works associated with public spaces such as platforms, parks and/or communal spaces, in turn, the Design The bathroom area of the house does not contemplate the use of a shower for the beneficiaries.
The other project consists of 21 houses that would benefit at least 104 people from the Resguardo El Noventa indigenous community, also in Quibdó, for $2,460 million, It has been delayed due to failures in the planning, in this case no urban planning works were considered for the grouped house and the design of the house corresponds to the same as those of the El 20 indigenous reservation.
In this case, another alleged irregularity detected is that the cost of each home is 100% higher than that stipulated for other projects with the same technical construction specifications.
Delays in roads and aqueduct
The most expensive of the works is the construction of 2.23 kilometers of road and sewerage network in the Esmeralda – Las Américas de Quibdó sector, for $15,781 million, which will benefit at least 5,000 inhabitants of the sector. Here the delays occurred due to disagreements with inhabitants of the sector, since it has not been possible for some people to evacuate properties required for the construction of the retaining wall.
The Attorney General’s Office for Monitoring the General Royalty System and the GES-SGR Group analyze the information collected to implement the preventive and disciplinary actions that apply in each case.