OPINION: Corruption diversified

For every step forward, one or two steps back in public administration. The Municipality of Arraiján, in the midst of this pandemic, granted salary increases to officials from the zero circle of the mayor and councilors. This increase is ordered after the Comptroller’s Office eliminated transportation expenses, with which local authorities obtained extravagant income of $10,000 or more, and at a time when the Supreme Court of Justice declared illegal the payment of paid licenses for officials with popularly elected positions.

In other words, while trying to clean up public affairs, local authorities and other officials manage to avoid the prohibitions through tricks that leave much to be desired from their ethics. These raises – deserved or not – have a whiff of politics, especially because of their closeness to the mayor and his loyal councilors.

 These are increases in municipalities that have very limited resources in which it seems to be more important to have a large payroll than to invest in the necessary works in favor of the community. It is a pity that the voracious appetite of politicians has found an echo and welcome in local governments. It is the diversification of corruption. LA PRENSA, Apr.17.