ARENA asks the GOES to catch up with universal pension payments

Due to the delay of the government of Nayib Bukele in the payment of the universal pension to older adults for ten months, legislators yesterday presented an initiative for the Assembly to issue a recommendation to the Ministry of Local Development to pay off the debt with the population.

The proposal was presented by legislators Mauricio Linares and Francisco Lira, both from ARENA, who indicated that they had learned of the non-payment during their visits to the territory.

Last January, LA PRENSA GRÁFICA reported that, according to the Social Investment and Local Development Fund (FISDL), until October 2021 only 42.2% of the beneficiary municipalities had been paid; and these had been canceled only what corresponded to the first four months of the year.

The FISDL, then, worked under the coordination of the Ministry of Local Development. However, after the ruling Assembly endorsed the creation of the Municipal Works Directorate (DOM) to take FODES away from the mayor’s offices, the DOM also absorbed the FISDL.

Despite this absorption, there was no official communication regarding the continuity of the social programs executed by the FISDL. In fact, victims of the armed conflict who also received a monthly fee reported that it has not been canceled and that the government has not responded to their questions about what will happen to the program.

“There is a concern in the territory. Several months ago there were eight months of universal basic pension debt; currently we are reaching ten months, which is more than $18 million that older adults are not receiving,” Lira explained.

Although the FISDL was absorbed by the DOM, the recommendation is addressed to the ministry headed by María Ofelia Navarrete, better known as María Chichilco.

“That priority can be given to our older adults so that they can receive their universal pension. It is not worth spending $15 million to buy bitcoin, when what would have to be covered in eight months of pension – now there are ten – was $19 million,” questioned Linares.