The cost containment policies promoted by the Carlos Alvarado government will not affect the National Council of Concessions (CNC).
This council of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) will not have limitations to hire personnel and pay competitive salaries to the new officials like the rest of the institutions.
The president instructed the finance minister, Rocío Aguilar, to comply with requests for personnel for this instance made by the minister, Rodolfo Méndez, to whom the president urgently entrusted a restructuring plan for the entity.
Before taking office, Alvarado said that without strengthening the staff and resources of this institution, it would be difficult to take on projects such as the extension of route 27 or the new route between San José and San Ramón.
Currently, Méndez is focused on the search for the technical secretary of this institution, because it is still under the direction of Mauricio Fernández, the head of the last administration. The minister said he is looking for a replacement with proven experience.
The new leader must prepare a bill for Congress to discuss its internal reform.
The CNC regulates, supervises, and administers the funds in concession contracts of public works and works with public services. Currently, these projects include Route 27, which connects San José with the port of Caldera, and the Container Terminal of Moín (TCM), which is under construction.
It also studies the planning of works such as the new route between San José and San Ramón, the Interoceanic Green Canal and the Electric Tramway in the capital.
The limitation of resources in the CNC means that it has few personnel, especially engineers, to attend to the projects that are developed through this funding figure.
At the end of the last administration, through an executive decree, MOPT transferred ¢ 1,000 million, which allowed it to face expenses such as salaries, social charges, rent, cleaning, among others expenses.