Structural problems of the SINA, Ignorance of the special CAR regime and the differences in interpretation with the CGR's audit teams, who generally have diverse professional profiles, which are not always suitable for carrying out an objective evaluation, result in reports with multiple findings that affect CARs.

Contradictorily, the same Comptroller's Office recommended the CVC in the audit of the year 2007, maintain the capital preservation policy to avoid losing value, nor generate operational deficit.

Bogotá, 17 July 2018. The Regional Autonomous and Sustainable Development Corporations of the country considered it inadequate and inaccurate., the disqualification of CARs, stated in the press release No. 106 of the Comptroller General of the Republic.

We recognize that we are subject to control by the Comptroller General of the Republic, but “they are serious statements, with which we cannot agree. The intention to disqualify and misinform about the Corporations is evident in the statement., with statements that tarnish the good management they carry out in their regions, which does a lot of damage and delegitimizes the CARs in the eyes of public opinion.. Without ignoring the complexity in which they carry out their management, The CARs are the environmental entities that report the most regional environmental achievements and actions to the country., because they are the ones that implement environmental policies, “they are and act in the territory”, said Ramón Leal Leal, executive director of ASOCARS.

These findings indicate the presumption but not the certainty of a fault, and that to distort it, it is either fiscal, disciplinary, criminal or administrative, Once the report has been received, the CARs have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have carried out work in accordance with current regulations.. The CARs will continue to fulfill their missionary work of protecting the environment and are ready to subscribe to improvement plans..

“This situation becomes recurring and we saw it coming, for it, We have met with the Comptroller General and the Delegate for Environmental Affairs in order to review the audit process, that on many occasions and for different reasons not attributable to the CARs, because they are structural, generate findings whose media handling causes serious damage to environmental institutions and that, in general, in subsequent processes, many of these findings are distorted, but not disclosed. That's why, “We do not share the interpretations that the audit teams make of the topics subject to audit and also the way in which the findings made are disclosed to these regional environmental authorities.”, Leal stated..

Resources

It is inaccurate to say that “10 CARs managed resources for almost $4 billion in 2017”, when in total 33 CAR reach 2.5 billions of which more than 50% They have a specific destination.

The execution of CAR resources conforms to environmental policies and applicable regulations., and start from carrying out their main missionary function as highest authorities in their jurisdictions. They act in contracting and purchasing, also complying with the Law 80, with SECOP and other government transparency initiatives.

Autonomy

The statement states that “the autonomy of the Corporations may be affected, since the members of its Boards of Directors are the Mayors and Governors of the jurisdiction, who also elect the general directors, "The sanctioning function that they have in their jurisdictions against those who carry out activities that affect the environment may be affected.", It is reported that the mayors and governors are not the ones who exclusively elect the directors, since representatives of the President of the Republic are also part of this management body., of the minister, productive sectors, representatives of black and indigenous communities, and other regional actors.

This is how due to its environmental specialty and knowledge of the territory, The CARs are very important entities for the sustainable development of the country and have expert professionals who are knowledgeable about environmental problems.. Therefore, “It is worrying that the Comptroller's Office does not highlight the strengthening they have had through the improvement plans that occur as a result of these audit processes, since we consider that the role that the CGR can play is very important, by supporting the public administration in the identification of those actions or omissions that interfere with the actions of the State, striving for continuous improvement”, Leal explained..

The CARs as public entities that are members of the State, They have instruments and instances that regulate administrative processes and procedures, before, during and after budget decisions are made. Not belonging to any branch of public power, by provision of the Political Constitution, It doesn't turn them into loose wheels., being part of the Colombian State like the Bank of the Republic, Public Universities, and control organizations such as the Comptroller's Office and the Attorney General's Office., subject to the rules of the Political Constitution and Colombian laws, as well as tax controls, disciplinary, criminal, jurisdictions and citizens, just like any public entity of the national order.

“The future of the CARs lies in strengthening their management as regional environmental authorities.”, based on knowledge of its territory, continuing to lead environmental issues in their respective jurisdictions. They must be strengthened technically and financially, prioritizing the exercise of environmental authority., for the benefit of the sustainable development of the regions and the country”, concluded the director of ASOCARS.

CORTOLIMA

The findings and observations of an administrative and fiscal nature are approximately 2.800 millions of pesos, that are focused on the impossibility of collecting the financial instrument called; Water usage fee (YOUR) to an irrigation district that has not wanted to formalize the corresponding water concession before the regional environmental authority. And the prescription of a coercive jurisdiction process against an offender for carrying out mining activities illegally in the municipality of Ataco-Tolima that, due to deficiencies in its notification process, The offender did not advance the payments of the corresponding fines to Cortolima.

In the CVC not a single peso has been lost

The Comptroller's Office states that “There is no clear and justified support, the management that the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca has been giving (CVC) to the $1,2 billions of pesos, that more than two decades ago were handed over by the National Government”, In this regard, the director of the CVC Rubén Darío Materón affirms that “It is not true that the National Government has delivered such resources to the CVC.. Los $1.2 billions are the product of the sale of EPSA shares, as compensation for the assets delivered and the environmental component of Salvajina. Therefore, These resources belong to the people of Valle del Cauca and their returns are invested every year in Valle del Cauca..

Just as it is not true that “they are invested in the national and international financial system.” (…) becoming more of a financial corporation”. The CVC in compliance with the Decree 1275 of 1994 You must keep these resources in high-yield funds. Además, Contradictorily, it was the same Comptroller's Office that recommended to the CVC, in the audit carried out on the year's management 2007, maintain the capital preservation policy to avoid losing value, nor generate operational deficit.

According to the Comptroller's Office, “the possibility of making investments in environmental issues for which they should be allocated is lost.”, to which Materón points out that in the current Action Plan 2016 – 2019, resources of the order of $1 billion, highlighting projects such as the reinforcement of the jarillon of the Cauca River as it passes through Cali, flood control works for La Victoria, Carthage and Bugalagrande; the construction projects of the Wastewater Treatment Plants, Ptar, from Palmyra, Jamundi and Yumbo, inter alia.

The CVC has planned an environmental horizon 21 years for Valle del Cauca through the Regional Environmental Management Plan, instrument that is built together with all actors in the region (mayors, Government, guilds, ethnic communities, ONG, inter alia).

Within your mission, has been formulating and executing Plans for the Management and Planning of Natural Resources, actions thanks to which, Technical institutions in the management of environmental issues such as IDEAM and the Ministry of Environment make positive reports such as the decrease in deforestation in Valle del Cauca. The truth is that the CVC is a self-sustaining environmental entity that guarantees the transparent management of resources and that belongs to the people of Valle del Cauca..

CARDER

The Corporation indicated that in said document there was no evidence of actions that would ensure that there was a diversion and/or inappropriate appropriation of resources by third parties., which is why none of the findings have criminal connotations.

In general terms, CARDER considers that, The assessments of the Comptroller's Office disagree with institutional reality, of the results and achievements in environmental management that have allowed the department to position itself at the national level in spaces such as POMCAS, moors, Protected areas, inter alia. Taking into account that during the audit process it was not possible to unify criteria regarding the subjective positions adopted by the audit team, Consultations will be raised to the General Auditor of the Republic and other bodies at the national level., in order to clarify each of the topics subject to findings.