President called for transparency and better services for public companies

Asuncion, IP.– This Thursday, the Council of Public Companies met for the first time with the President of the Republic, Horacio Cartes, to discuss the work methodology and monitoring of state companies. The President asked those responsible for a commitment to transparency and the improvement of services for the benefit of citizens.

At a press conference after the meeting at the Government Palace, the Minister of Finance, Santiago Peña, indicated that the Council of Public Companies is an organization created by law in 2013 that has the function of monitoring, evaluating and accompanying all public companies of the State.

This body is made up of the heads of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications, the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General’s Office.

Minister Peña explained that the council has been holding meetings with each of the presidents of the entities and learning about the management of these institutions during 2014 and what the main challenges are for 2015.

“(At the meeting on Thursday) we were discussing with the President of the Republic this work methodology that is being implemented and eventually we will hold meetings with the President so that he can also become familiar with the management of each of these companies and take the necessary measures to ensure that the management is as efficient as possible and that it results in benefits for the population,” he said.

The purpose of this meeting was not to evaluate the companies but to establish the council of public companies as the appropriate body for making public policies, he added.

He explained that in 2015, there will be management indicators that public companies will have to comply with and to the extent that these obligations are met, corrective measures will have to be taken.

“The council will have a monitoring mechanism through a control panel, there will be short-term indicators that will be evaluated and this is what we will be reporting to the President of the Republic on a regular basis to take the necessary corrective measures,” he explained.

He said that the Council’s concern is that public companies are sustainable, that they have efficient management, and that their management ultimately benefits the population. “That is what we are looking for, that is what we were discussing today with the President of the Republic. The President has asked for a commitment to transparency and putting people first,” he added.

The Attorney General of the Republic, Roberto Moreno, also indicated that the company Acepar is in the process of joining the Council of Public Companies once the litigation against the buyers who have breached the privatization contract is concluded.