2023-10-10 08:00:00
The mixed entity that manages the municipal Botanical Garden owes the last six annual balances, and the last ones it presented (for the years 2013 to 2016) received critical observations from the Comptroller Court, that requested its reformulation and is evaluating “applying sanctions.”
The Arbol de Pie civil association, which is a member of the entity’s board of directors on behalf of the community, publicly announced the disagreement with the concealment of information and its “disclaimer of responsibility” for the alleged irregularities.
The representative of that NGO Juan Paternó said that the Botanical Garden – created by ordinance more than ten years ago to develop an environmental and educational project on a property of several hectares that was in complete abandonment – “has never been anything more than that: a project. And that It is thanks to the apathy and selfishness demonstrated by the municipal Executive over time.”
Paternó assured RÍO NEGRO Diary that one of the many ideas included in The original proposal was the creation of a laboratory for the study and development of native speciesbut it never prospered, despite the fact that at some point there was a pre-agreement with the province to provide the resources.
“It is regrettable to have lost the opportunity to develop an ambitious project that would have been extremely valuable for our city and the region,” said Arbol de Pie. He also pointed out that municipal agent Marina Hansen was “one of the driving forces of the project” in question but she “had to endure the mistreatment” and displacement to other tasks. He maintained that the virtual paralysis of the Botanical Garden entity and the failure to meet its basic objectives is due to “the meanness of some and especially of politics.”
Pending balances
Arbol de Pie tried to obtain the Comptroller’s opinions on the latest balance sheets presented from the entity itself, and when faced with the refusal, it turned to the Comptroller himself. Over there was able to verify that the balances from 2017 onwards are owed and that in relation to the above, the Court issued “with an abstention opinion, with a request for the presentation of supporting documentation and reformulation of the same.”
The supervisory body also informed the NGO that “it has reiterated to the Botanical entity through formal notes the request for detailed documentation and “We are currently evaluating the application of sanctions and the initiation of a summary investigation procedure.”
Paternó said on behalf of Arbol de Pie that they were unaware of these disorders. As the Comptroller highlighted “the responsibility of the Entity’s board of directors” in relation to the questioned financial statements, Arbol de Pie wanted to make it clear that he was unaware of those accusations that would reach him and requested that they be informed in writing. “the reason why said non-compliance was incurred and what is the current status of the missing balancess, given the proximity of the change of municipal government.”
Explanations for the delay
The Botanical Garden manages public resources and in the last municipal budget an annual allocation of 9 million pesos was assigned.
The treasurer of the entity is Councilor Gerardo Ávila, who acknowledged having assumed the position when there was a large delay with the surrenders.
Ávila said that the Botanical entity “has always had complexities” and the work to be completed depends on the hiring of professionals. He also recognized that in The personal aspect drags “discussions and disagreements with the Executive” over the management of the organization.
“We move forward to the presentation of the 2016 and 2017 balance sheets. We continued with the preparation of the following to the extent that we had funds to be able to hire the accounting service And following the delays caused by the pandemic in many of the actions to be carried out, we are trying not only to complete the formal issue but the most important one is to move forward with improvements to the property,” stated the councilor.
Paternó regretted that very few of the original purposes of the Botanical Garden are being realized and everything is limited, until now, to “makeup issues like putting up a stick or a sign.”
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