Acceleration of budget execution, the reason why there will be ministerial shaking

He President Gustavo Petro announced that there would be a renewal in his ministerial cabinet.

The changes that would occur in the coming days would be in at least seven portfolios. One of them would be Mines and Energy, headed by Andrés Camacho.

(Read: These are the diseases from which Colombians die the most).

Portafolio learned that Camacho would leave and enter in his place William Mercado Redondowhose resume has been in the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre)led by Laura Sarabia.

Market is lawyer and specialist in Home Public Services Law; In addition to having a master’s degree in Economic Law. Additionally, he was part of Fendipetroleum as vice president of the energy regulation and transition market since 2023 and was director of Energy of the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Sector sources told Portafolio that Mercado would come to the portfolio on the recommendation of Efraín Cepeda, senator of the Conservative Partyafter the approval of the pension reform in Congress.

In this regard, Cepeda emphasized that he has not presented papers for any position and that the “independence positions that we have adopted with respect to the reforms presented by the Government have been public positions that we have defended and maintained within the Senate”.

(Read: Ministerial shakeup: the challenges that the new Minenergía would take on).

However, several sources have assured that Mercado’s arrival is made amid political pressures related to support in the votes of said processes in Congress. In the next few hours the Market sheet for said position should be known.

Regarding Camacho’s departure, Portafolio learned that would be dedicated to promoting the name of María José Pizarro for a possible future presidential aspiration. It is worth remembering that Camacho worked as an advisor to the now Senator when she was a representative to the House. A change in the Mines portfolio would imply a series of challenges that the new minister must assume.

María José Pizarro

Ministry of Education

Some issues such as the price of electricity and fuel have been crucial for the Government.

Although progress had already been made with respect to the Nation assuming the rate option debt and even modifications to the caps on the stock market price, these still need to be applied. Both measures would have an effect on the rates of this public service received by users in the country. In fact, Camacho assured in the past that the decrease in bills could range between 4% and 20%.

(More: Social Prosperity warns that it does not ask for money to speed up its processes).

Alejandro Lucio, director of Óptima Consultorespointed out that the main challenge of an eventual new minister would be “move from politics to action”. In this sense, among the adjustments and tasks that it would assume is the complete presentation of the Just Energy Transition Roadmap. He said that there are many issues that are diagnosed and whose solutions require the portfolio’s action.

“To do this, the first thing is to have a Creg appointed who understands that these changes are a priority, so that greater competition is achieved in the market to achieve better rates, empowerment of the user, who is a new active actor in this market, market modernization is the priority”said Lucio.

Gustavo Petro.

Bloomberg

This topic was supported by Julio César Vera, president of Xua Energyagreed on this point, since the Energy and Gas Regulation Commission (Creg) has a series of relevant changes to its credit for these services.

Regarding energy security, he pointed out that it is a priority for the new leader of the portfolio to execute actions that guarantee sovereignty in terms of the supply of oil and natural gas.

During a speech during his visit to Sweden a few days ago, President Petro announced that there will be new changes in his cabinet of ministers, which he would announce in the next few hours. “The change of cabinet has to do above all with the fact that we are in the middle of the government and we have to make an evaluation”said Gustavo Petro in his speech.

Although he did not announce what changes there will be, the head of state He gave signs that his economic team would not have adjustmentsthis considering that it would not be prudent to make moves on this front given the complex fiscal situation facing the country.

(You can read: Minhacienda, Mintrabajo, Dian and ANI account for 70% of the cut to the 2024 National Budget).

The president also said that the profile of the new ministers will be focused on effective execution of the investment and other plans contemplated for the remainder of their mandate.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jhenifer Mojica.

Private file

So far there has been speculation about the departure of the following officials from the cabinet: Jhenifer Mojica Flórez, from Agriculture; Aurora Vergara from Education, and William Camargo from Transportation.

Additionally, there would be the case of the Ministry of Mines with the departure of Andrés Camacho; like the Interior, with Luis Fernando Velasco. Likewise, they would leave their positions Néstor Osuna, in Justice and Catalina Velasco, in Housing. This information is not yet official and a statement is expected in the next few hours.

(Keep reading: They inspect the Nariño House in search of evidence for the use of a polygraph on Marelbys Meza).

Petro has stated that political representativeness will not be taken into account when evaluating these modifications, and that these will be made based on compliance with its Government program.

“Execution as measured by accounting is superior in previous governments, I don’t like that execution because it means transferring money to the banks. I measure execution in another way, how many people have been positively impacted by the Government’s money.“said the head of state.

DANIELA MORALES SOLER and JAVIER ACOSTA
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