On the night of April 11, the National Federation of Departments (FND) published a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance from Colombia, Jose Antonio Ocampo. In this they alert about a directive coming from their portfolio that would put at risk the payment of bonds or quotas of pension payments in territorial entities.
The FND contacted Minister Ocampo to express their disagreement with the decision to suspend all withdrawal requests for the payment of bonuses or installments, parts of the pension bonus with resources from the National Pension Fund of the Territorial Entities (Fontep), communicated through Circular Letters issued on April 4, 2023.
“We want to express our disagreement with the decision adopted by the General Directorate of Economic Regulation of the Social Security of that Portfolio, and communicated through the Circular Letters issued on April 4 of this year, in which both the Governors and Mayors, as well as the Private Pension Fund Administrators, FONPRECON and Colpensiones, which, as of April 11, 2023 “and temporarily”, all withdrawal requests for the payment of bonuses or bonus installments are suspended pension with resources from the National Pension Fund of Territorial Entities – Fontep”, reads the document.
The Federation warned that the guarantee of the fundamental right to social Security and protection of the population subject to said payments, the decision was communicated by the General Directorate of Economic Regulation of Social Security of the Ministry and rejected by the Federation.
The FND asked the Treasury to retract the decision and clarify its legal basis. In addition, the organization asks that those responsible for the “omissions” of the General Directorate for Economic Regulation of Social Security be made known and that open and permanent communication be maintained with the territorial entities to avoid situations like this.
“What is the legal basis for suspending the applications and payments of bonds and shares of pension bonds charged to FONPET resources? What is the expected time to lift the suspension and continue with the payment of bonds and quotas, parts of pension bonds in charge of FONPET resources? they questioned from the federation.
The FND considers that this decision does not have any justification or explanation, for the territorial entities, since it does not know the responsibility of the Fonpet, in charge of the Treasury and Public Credit, as the administrator of the own resources that the Governors and Mayoralties allocate and save in that fund for the payment of that pension liability.
“Mr. Minister, we tell you that the FND and the departments have always been fully willing to work together for the benefit of the country and the regions, for which we call for the Ministry’s units to maintain open and permanent communication with the entities territorial authorities to prevent situations like these from recurring,” the document concluded.
The FND unites the 32 departments of the country, its mission is to manage before the entities of the national order those matters of interest to the territorial entities, which allow fiscal strengthening and the adequate performance of their functions for the well-being of the regions.
Currently, it is directed by the governor of Quindío, Roberto Jairo Jaramillo Cárdenas, who signs the letter in his capacity as president of the Federation. The other heading corresponds to Didier Tavera Amado, executive director. The document was sent in copy to the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada Gil, the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic, Mauricio Lizcano Arango, and the Presidential Adviser for the Regions, Luis Fernando Velasco Chaves.
