The government published in the Official Journal the decree of austerity measures in which the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ‘proposes’ that “voluntarily” the wages of senior public officials should be reduced by up to 25% progressively.
In the document, the Chair states that “in accordance with the criteria governing efficiency, honesty, austerity and justice, and in the face of the global crisis of the neoliberal model, which undoubtedly affects us, I propose the urgent and categorical implementation of the following measures”.
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The first is that “no worker will be dismissed, but there will be no increase in staff; voluntarily, senior civil servants’ salaries will be reduced by up to 25% progressively.”
In the final part of the decree, in the transitionals, it will enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the Federation and will be in force until 31 December 2020.
Although the second point mentions that the decree will become an initiative of law “which I am sending as a priority study and, where appropriate, immediate approval to the Brother Chamber of Deputies”.
UNAM lawyer Javier Martín Reyes criticized on social media that this is a “decree-no-decree”, a speech by the president published in the Official Journal, “a decree that actually ‘proposes’ measures that will then be included in a law initiative”.
On April 5, the President said that he had made a consultation and there was a consensus that in the midst of the pandemic crisis the salaries of senior public officials would fall and the aguinaldos would be eliminated from the position of deputy directors, to that of the President of the Republic.
However, a day later at least three directors from different federal institutions claimed that they knew the decision until López Obrador made the announcement.
Other points listed in the Decree are:
— Senior civil servants shall not have aguinaldos or any other year-end benefit. The concept of senior public official applies from Deputy Director to President.
— 75% of the available budget of general service items and materials and supplies shall not be exercised. This also includes the supposedly compromised.
— Ten undersecretariats are cancelled , although it is not specified which ones – and employment with the same rank and income to those who will leave those charges is guaranteed.
— The suspension of paid work will be extended until 1 August to those already in this situation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
— Half of the offices shall remain closed, with the exception of those which directly serve the public or those which are essential to the welfare of the people. In this period, an effort will be made to relocate public servants according to the priority, in order to stop renting buildings, vehicles, wineries and real estate, among other savings.
— Government actions and expenditure are postponed, with the exception of priority programmes:
— “Efficiency, honesty and austerity will allow us to increase the budget to strengthen the shielding of social programmes and priority projects by 622 billion pesos.”
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Civil Service to oversee presidential austerity decree
The Secretariat of the Civil Service (SFP) announced that it will monitor the 75% reduction in operating and general service costs, as well as the elimination of the non-essential and which do not affect the substantive functions of the federal government.
According to the Federation’s Egress Budget, this amount is 134 thousand 396 million 542 thousand 714 pesos.
Through a statement, the SFP explained that the resources released will be redirected to the attention “of the global economic crisis arising from neoliberal policies”.
? #COMUNICADO
Public Function Announces Actions to Monitor Compliance with Presidential Republican Austerity Decree
See more at: https://t.co/vCAf1PrHP3 pic.twitter.com/RSA2JhA45w
— SFP Mexico (@SFP_mx) April 23, 2020
The Civil Service indicated that the Internal Supervisory Bodies (ICOs) will monitor and accompany the implementation of these measures so that they are carried out without affecting the substantive operation of the units and bodies of the federal government and no dismissal of personnel is incurred.
The SFP will also ensure that public trust funds are not used without the authorization of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.
According to the presidential decree, only health, defense, navy and National Guard institutions, which have health emergency care tasks, are exempt from the measures.
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