Four councils from Santa Cruz want

To invest resources on big projects

The Mobile Brigadefrom the Ministry of Economyexplains to peoplefrom the council FernandezAlonzothe participative planning from the Annual Operative Plan (POA)

People from four councils in Santa Cruz expressed their worries for the littleinvestment on council resourcesinvestmentsfor projects of impact.The Mobil Brigadeof Economyadvised to improvethe council managementand to invest themoney on social projectsin favor of the council.

The Mobil Brigadefrom the Ministry of Economyand Public Finances gave information for people and authoritiesfrom the councils of SanPedro,Fernandez Alonzo(created on 2002), AgustínSaavedraand Monteroto boost the executionof projects with social impact (hospitals, watering systems , farming development,etc.),that arealready registered at the Council Development Plan(PDM).

The Mobile Brigade of Economy visited SanPedrocouncil on July 11th 2012; FernandezAlonzoand Montero,the 12th the same month and Agustín Saavedra,next day,to develop workshopson the planning of the Annual Operative Plan.

And offer an explanation on the achievements of the New Economic, Social, Communitarian and Productive Model, applied in the country by the NationalGovernment from 2006.

At the same time ,listened to the participants ,were people from such councils, that expressed their unconformity because local governments would not be building projects of social impacts (such as hospitals, irrigation systems), but small projectssince expressed,by representatives from FernandezAlonzoand San Pedro,council resources are being distributed by district and habitants it means distribution per capita for the allocation of resources depending on the number of habitants.

“the problem in our council —said the president of theMonitoring Committeefrom Fernandez Alonzo council ApolonioAdrián Chambi— is that the money is distributed by system and is not enough to fund a big project as we thought at thePDM(Council DevelopmentPlan).What is set at the PDM has not been made until know. Besides, other problem

July 20th 2012•Nº 35

1/2

Is that the Money is not enough,because each district

Has its own necesities”.

Meanwhile the Sub Major from San Pedro District Five GerónimoSilvera Choque, expressed that this council has just been created.Reason why,until now,they are still following the same income redistribution procedure set by the model from the council from which they separate(Mining Councils).

According to Silvera,Miners distributed their incomesaccording to the number of peopleper District. He claims that is because they did not know other way to redistribute income they just followed the redistribution model from the council were they belonged before.

The technician from the Budget Vice Ministry, Karina Moreno, explained at the workshops that councils should prioritize projects that are in the Council Development Plan (PDM),instead of distributing the Money according with the number of habitantsin their councils, therefore economic resourcesare not invested on big projects.

“First(the development of theAnnual Operative Plan)should be the PDM,but you (citizens)forget(…)that is better to have fewer but relevant projects withstrong budgets”,he said.

SanPedro, AgustínSaavedra, FernándezAlonzoand Monterocouncils are located at ObispoSantistevan province. This province is characterized mainly by being farmer and cattle rising .

ObispoSantiestevanholds in its territories sugar industries such as Guabirá,inMontero,and "Unagro" atMineros council. This sugar bowl together with Wood bowls, and rice bowls, cotton harvesters and farms, hire locals specially during harvesting times.

At the four workshops there were over 570attendantsto whom the Mobile Brigade gave information regarding assignation, execution and budget planning,and also explainedthe characteristics, and results achieved by the New Economic, Social, Communitarian and Productive Model, applied in the country from 2006.

San Pedro

San Pedro has three cantons and 16 communities. The workshop was hold at the Bartolina Siza Women’s Federation venue, with over 60 people attending between representatives from this indigenous organization and nearby communities, as well as council servants.

The information given by the Mobile Briagde was appreciated and valued by the community. 2 All my doubts have been clarified and I have learn a lot about my council “ said ”, Gerónimo Silvera,Sub Major from District Five.

Fernández Alonzo

Fernández Alonzois located 92 kilómeters from SantaCruzde la Sierra city.

At the workshop closing,the Major,Angelina VargasFerrufino,representing the 70 participantsat the workshop with the support of organizations such as Bartolina Sisa and the Farming Workers, sent a thank you letter to the Ministry of Economy and Public Luis Alberto ArceCatacora.

“These training workshops have left spread knowledge in each participant, creating better opportunities to act and social control for a joint effort in our councils, says the letter.

Agustín Saavedra yMontero

These councilsare the first and second section from,ObispoSantistevanprovince bothjurisdictions gatheredaround 240participants between community people and council authorities.

Besides,the Economy Mobile Brigade visited three neighborhoods the Plan3000and 1ro of May Villafrom Santa Cruz city, training over 200people on the characteristics and results of the New Economic, Social, Communitarian and Productive Model.

WithSan Pedro,Fernández Alonzo,Agustín Saavedraand Montero,the Mobile Brigade has already visited 19 councils in 7 departments around the country from march toJuly 2012 aiming to give information to the people to help with the council management at the

Comunities.

July 20th 2012•Nº 35

2/2