The government wants to replace reconstruction with changes by the National Infrastructure Authority: what does it propose?

President of the Republic Dina Boluarte announced on Monday that her administration will present Congress bill establishing National Infrastructure Administration. A day after the President’s announcement, Prime Minister Alberto Otarola explained what the institution was and what its main functions were.

Speaking to the media Otarola said the organization will replace the Reconstruction with Change Authority (ARCC) established to deal with the natural disaster caused by the coastal children phenomenon in 2017, after the devastation caused by Cyclone Yaku in the northern regions of the country, such as Lambaeque, Piura and Tumbesareas that are affected heavy rains and river floods.

“It will not be a new entity, it will replace, it will be a merger by absorbing Reconstruction with Change,” he explained.

The head of the Cabinet of Ministers clarified that the All-Russian State Central Committee for the six years of its work did not give priority to preventive work in order to avoid the images left by cyclone Yaku: flooded houses and isolated settlements. For Otarolathis institution “put the cart before the horse”.

“For six years [ARCC] He devoted himself to building the basic social infrastructure such as schools, first-aid posts and hospitals that the country needed, but did not devote himself to the main thing, that is, preventive tasks and work in pools,” he specified. .

What will the National Infrastructure Authority prioritize?

Thus Prime Minister indicated that, if its creation were approved by Parliament, National Infrastructure Administration will be responsible for promoting symbolic works that are needed in the country, as well as to prevent adverse consequences natural phenomena.

“We’re going to propose National Infrastructure Administration, which will be the organization responsible for the symbolic work to solve this whole problem; For example, the Rimac river basin must be processed in all its dimensions, as well as the La Leche (Lambaeque) river, which must have an outlet,” he said.

“This year, this institution will prepare Peru to face these natural events,” he added.

Otarola also indicated that the organization would reproduce an agreement between governments that applied ARCC perform the work for six years of his management.

asked if National Infrastructure Administration This is a preliminary step towards the creation of a new ministerial portfolio, prime minister he left that possibility open; however, he reaffirmed the need to “correct mistakes, focus on successes … and solve the path leading to the center and clearing the rivers” to mitigate the destructive effects of nature.

Failed to rebuild with changes?

According to Comptroller General of the Republic Nelson Shaq, the process Reconstruction with changesIn general, it did not work out for various reasons. One of them, he pointed out, is that ARCC it was created first as a body that coordinates and finances; however, the coordination is carried out by the Presidium of the Council of Ministers (RCM), and the financing is carried out by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).

“They didn’t have to create such a unit. Since the diagnosis is that there is no capacity to perform large and complex work in regional and local government projects, you need not a coordinator or financier, you need an executor. The performer has just returned around 2020 thanks to intergovernmental agreements,” said Shak in News extension.

Also head controller confirmed that ARCC it failed “not because they didn’t spend the money”, but because they worked to renovate schools and hospitals, leaving aside the inherent problems of watershed management. “There is practically no progress in this. For example, in the issue of protecting rivers, in the issue of dams, in the issue of reforestation,” he said.

That’s why, Hut hailed the executive’s project, calling it a “good idea”; but he considered that it was necessary to “go further”, since it was necessary to centralize the capacities of different offices in order to be able to make the infrastructure quickly, correctly and transparently.

“In this sense, I considered it necessary to create – perhaps on the basis of the Reconstruction with Changes Department – the Ministry of Infrastructure, which will work at the national level, but will focus Pronis, Pronied and some large projects on the basics of housing and transport,” he said.