Bill advances that would prohibit shareholding of companies Regional Environmental Corporation in companieshome public services.
With the aim of eliminating the conflict of interest and preventing the Regional Autonomous Corporations from being judge and part of the companies providing public services in Colombia
, The Fifth Commission of the House of Representatives approved in its first debate Bill 235 of 2023, promoted by Representative Cristian Avendaño. This initiative seeks to prohibit the participation of Regional Autonomous Corporations, CAR, in companies providing home public services.
In the specific case of Santander, the Regional Autonomous Corporation for the Defense of the Bucaramanga Plateau (CDMB) currently owns 99% of the Santander Public Sewer Company (EMPAS
), entity that also supervises and sanctions. This situation, according to Avendaño, creates a conflict of interest that has negatively affected the management and development of crucial projects for the region.
“The approval of this bill will allow the Public Sewer Company of Santander
to the bumangueses, whose equity value amounts to nearly half a billion pesos. In addition, it will allow the nearly 100,000 million pesos collected annually in water and sewage bills to be invested in a much more efficient way,” Avendaño stated.
The measure not only seeks to improve transparency and efficiency in resource management, but also to transfer environmental supervision functions to the municipalities where services are provided. This, according to Avendaño, will facilitate the making of necessary strategic investments, such as improving wastewater treatment and renewing sewage networks.
Since its creation, Empas has been the subject of controversy due to its use as a bureaucratic fortress and the alleged financing of political campaigns with the resources of the Bumangueses and Santandereans. With this new law, It is hoped to put an end to these practices and ensure that public resources are used more effectively and for the benefit of the community.
“This project represents a significant advance in the management of resources for Bucaramanga, ensuring that they can be used more effectively. We will continue working hard to get this law approved in the second half of this year,” Avendaño concluded.
Given the approval in the first debate, it remains to be seen what the chiefs of the political clans of Santander will say to whom total control of these companies is attributed.
