Despite pointing out several errors in the text which make the system impractical, the Legislative Assembly has given final approval to the proposed reforms, while they prepare further amendments.
Reform to the Banking System for Development has been approved, however, "... There are gaps that will make the plan unworkable and ineffective, if it is ever to become law ...
In Guatemala economic operators do not have the necessary facilities for access to public information to be used as input for their business decisions.
With the aim of finding out about progress made in the implementation of the Law on Access to Information, Citizen Action, and Transparency International evaluated the performance of websites and the information units during 2013.
The Institute of Social Security has endorsed a contract, awarded without having held a tender, with Intertelco for leasing fiber optic and patient-care software .
Although it has not signed the contract with Internet Telecomunication Company of Guatemala (Intertelco) , this entity has already received an endorsement from the Board (JD by its initials in Spanish) .
The Spanish company Talent Ingeniería, Instalaciones y Servicios S.L., had been awarded the construction of phase 2 of the plant 's wastewater treatment plant area in San Benito, Petén .
The note sent by the Controller General of Accounts (CGC) to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources , Roxana Sobenes, which recommends cancelling the process reveals " ...
The company Guatemalteca de Níquel has requested a piece of land in Santo Tomas de Castilla for a coal plant from which would produce nickel be exported.
This was confirmed by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, who said the company's request is for the machinery to be used in the exploitation of the mineral.
He added that at the moment they are reviewing the requirements demanded by the Port Act because "you can not have a usufruct as allowed by Act of Puerto Quetzal".
The suspension has been ordered of a $133 million disbursement for the purchase of six Super Tucano airplanes which were to be used to control of the country's airspace.
From a press release published in Diario de Centro América:
"We have doubts about whether the six Super Tucanos are overvalued. There were negotiated by the last government," indicated President Otto Perez Molina, referring to the suspension of the disbursement for $133 million for the acquisition of these light attack aircraft, to be used for airspace control.
The Government has increased by $17 million the budget for the purchase of more than 30,000 guns and assault rifles.
According to Mauricio Lopez Bonilla, Minister of the Interior, this budget limit will be authorized by agreement. "It will indicate that we have authorized a ceiling of about $45 million to acquire the weapons. But that does not mean that's what we're going to spend. "
While the government is renewing 10 contracts worth $298 million and one single company gets 23%, many question the lack of competition in this area of public procurement.
Authorities from the Ministry of Public Finance indicated that with these renewals they will have enough medicine reserves for 2012 for the Ministry of Health, the Military Medical Center and the Guatemalan Social Security Institute.
Between May and June 2011, the country's electoral parties spent $14.3 billion in advertising for the elections.
Acción Ciudadana, the Guatemalan chapter of Transparency International, this week presented a report on advertising spending during the election campaign.
The report indicates that total expenditure is higher, because the measurements do not include local social networks or media, nor the expenses of candidates running for deputy or mayor.
Widespread corruption, institutional weakness, disputes between countries, and resistance to more taxes, are jeopardizing the chances of success of the plan and its 22 projects.
A summit held in Guatemala, where for the first time since 1856 Central American countries agreed to fight together, culminated in joint action plans to combat drug trafficking.
Manfredo Marroquín, the Central American representative of Transparency International, said the region has to tackle corruption if it wants to promote more investment.
El Salvador, for example, urgently needs to pass legislation that gives citizens the right of access to official information, Marroquín said. Countries also need to establish Web pages that reveal every stage of public tenders, he added.