Uruguay
Montevideo’s Board Debated the 2025 Accountability Report with a Focus on the Lower Deficit
The governing coalition defended the city government’s fiscal result, while the opposition questioned the cut in investments. According to La Diaria, by the time the edition closed, the vote was still underway.
Montevideo’s Departmental Board analyzed this Thursday the 2025 Accountability Report, which includes the last six months of Mauricio Zunino’s administration and the start of Mario Bergara’s term. According to La Diaria, after more than ten hours of debate the vote had still not concluded, although approval appeared likely because of the Broad Front’s majority.
In the statement of reasons, the Montevideo city government said the fiscal year should be read in a context of price stability and a slowdown in economic activity, a scenario that, it argued, forced prudent management of resources to maintain response capacity and financial solvency.
According to the data presented, the city government closed 2025 with an operating deficit of 593 million pesos. Revenues from departmental and national sources totaled 33,757 million pesos, while expenditures amounted to 34,040 million. To that was added, according to the document, income from a realized exchange-rate gain of 582 million pesos.
Broad Front councilor Gimena Urta said the balance sheet shows a year marked by two stretches of departmental government under the same political force. She acknowledged that the administration inherited a city government with a significant 2024 deficit, but said the measures adopted made it possible to reduce the operating deficit by almost 75% in one year. She also said the cut in operating expenses was based on efficiency criteria, with fewer car rentals, professional services and office expenses.
Urta also added that by the end of the five-year term the Montevideo city government will have paid off 40% of its outstanding debt, with a drop from 32% to 19%.
From the opposition, National Party councilor Laura Soto acknowledged that there was a significant reduction in the deficit, although she downplayed that result and described it as less bad than the previous fiscal year. In the same vein, Juan Ignacio Abdala said the Accountability Report reflects a lost year for Montevideo and questioned the fact that the adjustment was concentrated in the drop in investments, which he put at 32.56%.
Also from the National Party, Nicolás Botana criticized the level of resources allocated to investments, arguing that they do not translate into visible improvements for residents. Gabriel Cunha reinforced that view by saying that a reduced share of spending ends up in works such as pothole and sidewalk repairs.
In response, Broad Front councilor Gonzalo Zuvela questioned the opposition’s arguments and said it rejects any budgetary decision by the departmental government, whether it carries out everything planned or spends more or less than allocated.
Sources
Sobre esta nota. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this event.
