Colombia’s government called on mayors and governors Wednesday to finish spending emergency flood funds in the next two months.
Everado Murillo, the manager of Colombia Huminitaria, Colombia’s special humanitarian organization, told the local governments of Colombia that they had two months to spend the money that had been awarded to them during the devastating floods that left millions of Colombians homeless last winter.
“Tell the mayors and governors that the 3,762 projects approved, representing $800 million, have two months for their execution,” said the manager.
Murillo also appealed to the citizens of Colombia to make sure that the funds were spent quickly and properly. He said, “we ask all concerned citizens who have helped us throughout the country to help us control this execution…We have started a media campaign making such a call to citizens committed to the country to whom we now turn to on the issues of control and oversight.”
Colombia’s transport minister, German Cardona expressed the need to complete infrastructure projects during the summer dry season. “What do we need? That these 4,100 projects financed with $800 million run, run, please be run by the governors and mayors, because this coming summer season is short,” said Cardona.
Colombia’s housing minister said that disaster relief was improving Colombia’s construction industry, noting that 120,000 new construction jobs have been created this quarter.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos decreed the spending of billions of dollars in December when large parts of Colombia were flooded following an excessivbely long rainy season. In April, the government received criticism because — two months after the end of the rainy season — thousands of Colombians had still not received any aid.