The Comptroller General of the Republic made a call after warning about an imbalance between the resources that will enter the Nation and the spending commitments projected for 2026, a situation that would force the Government to make adjustments under strict criteria of austerity and fiscal control.

According to the technical document, the revenues approved for the next fiscal period are around $528 billion, while expenses would exceed $545 billion, leaving a considerable gap that limits the Executive’s margin of action.

The situation is even more complicated if we take into account that nearly 91% of the budget corresponds to obligations that cannot be easily modified.

The distribution of spending for 2026 shows these restrictions: the functioning of the State would concentrate around 66%, debt service around 19% and public investment barely 15%, which reduces the Government’s ability to promote new projects or strengthen social programs.

Another point that generates concern is the low budget execution registered in recent years. In 2024, the budget commitment level did not exceed 84%, while the resources allocated to investment barely reached 58%.

For 2025, with a cutoff in mid-December, global execution was close to 80%, and investment did not manage to exceed 54%, a few days before the fiscal close.

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The control agencies warned that any cuts must be made carefully so as not to affect the provision of essential public services or put the country’s economic stability at risk.

Although paying the debt is unavoidable, it was suggested to explore financial management strategies that could partially alleviate this burden.

Likewise, it was recommended to review operating expenses such as service provision contracts, travel expenses and other administrative items, without touching structural commitments such as pensions, mandatory transfers and priority social programs.

For experts, correcting the fiscal imbalance not only depends on cuts, but also on improving efficiency in budget execution and strengthening the State’s financial planning.

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