Uruguay
Jutep pushes internal restructuring amid questions over its independence and lack of resources
The agency’s board defended a new organizational chart in Parliament that includes an anti-corruption observatory. The hearing also exposed vacancies, delays in complaints and criticism from both government and opposition lawmakers.
The Junta de Transparencia y Ética Pública presented in Parliament an administrative restructuring that foresees dividing its operations into three areas: Declaraciones Juradas, Observatorio and Gestión de Denuncias. According to Búsqueda, the resolution was approved by two votes to one, with the backing of president Ana Ferraris and vice president Alfredo Asti, and the rejection of opposition director Luis Calabria.
During the appearance before the Budget Committee integrated with Finance, several lawmakers questioned both the design of the new organizational chart and the guarantees of the agency’s technical independence. Senator Graciela Bianchi raised doubts about the legal basis, composition and operation of the future observatory, and also expressed concern over the disappearance of the Legal Advisory Office as a specific area.
According to what was published by Búsqueda, two of the three lawyers in that advisory office moved to the new Complaints Management division, while in the third case there was a replacement through secondments to and from the Civil Service. Bianchi questioned that mechanism, arguing that these are political appointments, and said the previous structure offered greater technical independence.
Senator Robert Silva also objected to the board’s having departed from legal opinions in some recent resolutions and asked where the legal advisory unit will be placed within the new structure, as well as whether decisions are being made with sufficient backing and in compliance with procedural guarantees.
At the session, the budgetary and staffing limitations of Jutep were also emphasized. Senator Daniel Caggiani said the agency has been “the Cinderella” of budgets. Ferraris noted that there are more than 400 complaints pending and 200,000 sworn statements stored in physical format, alongside a digitization and automation process that is advancing with vacancies still unfilled.
The president defended the restructuring as a way to organize internal operations and said secondments are used on a temporary basis while competitive hiring processes are carried out. However, Senator Rodrigo Blás said the agency’s current operation “does not provide guarantees” and questioned both the redistribution of tasks among 14 employees and the coverage of technical functions with staff on secondment.
Ferraris responded that Jutep needs to convert vacancies in order to bring in profiles it does not currently have, such as IT specialists, more lawyers and notaries. She also explained that the creation of the observatory aims to process the information arising from sworn statements and complaints, with the goal of establishing criteria, proposing public policies and rendering accounts based on objective data. According to her, the intention is also to add new profiles, including sociologists and some political scientist.
According to Búsqueda, among the complaints still under review is the one linked to the purchase of a personal pickup truck with a US$ 25,000 discount by President Yamandú Orsi. The agency is awaiting responses to a second request for information sent to the Presidency.
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Sobre esta nota. Redactada por El Notero con asistencia de inteligencia artificial, a partir de lo publicado por el medio citado. El Notero no hizo reporteo propio sobre este hecho.
