In the midst of the tension over the cut in the university budget, the government of Javier Milei rejects the controls carried out by the Auditor General of the Nation (AGN), which reports to the National Congress and not to the Executive, and insists on the idea of get involved in the audits, even though it would be "violating university autonomy."
"An important notice: no matter what happens, whatever you do, at least as long as Javier Milei is president,
the money of the people who go to universities will be AUDITED
," said the Undersecretary of University Policies, Alejandro Álvarez.
Through a post on his social networks, which was reposted by Milei, the national official highlighted: "The supervision of spending in universities is in the Higher Education law."
In one of the responses made on the social network, Álvarez indicated: "We are setting up an inspection and audit area that DID NOT EXIST."
An important notice: no matter what happens, whatever you do, at least while @JMilei is president, the money of the people who go to universities is going to be AUDITED, the control of spending in universities is in the law of Higher education. pic.twitter.com/EZufqYPRuc
— Alejandro Alvarez (h.) (@AleCiroAlvarez) April 20, 2024
"They are holding the students hostage and are going to use them to defend themselves, we have to take care of the students and the teachers who teach," he added.
In dialogue with
Clarín
, the president of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and rector of the National University of San Luis, Victor Moriñigo, explained that "it is not possible" for the Government to carry out an audit of the national universities because "they are audited by the AGN , which reports to the National Congress and not to the Executive Branch."
With the audits as the workhorse of the Government, in the midst of a fight with the university authorities over the adjustment that they are carrying out in the sector, from the Secretary of Education of the Nation, led by Carlos Torrendell, they detailed to this newspaper that
They will meet with the National Interuniversity Council on April 30,
in a meeting where the financing of study houses will be addressed.
Sources from the Undersecretary of University Policies specified that the agenda of the meeting includes
"financing, along with the audit and supervision processes of the Universities
. "
In addition, the payment schedule to University Hospitals will be made official.
The meeting will take place a week after the
Federal University March
that will take place on
April 23
, from the National Congress to Plaza de Mayo, to protest the lack of funds.
The Government announced an agreement with public universities
With the University of Buenos Aires in "savings mode", with faculties that turn off the lights and limit the use of elevators to spend less electricity, due to the freezing of the budget at 2023 values, the Government announced this Thursday that an increase was agreed for the university system and spoke of "a proposal agreed upon with the National Interuniversity Council."
"A 70% increase was ordered in March, bringing the allocation for operating expenses to $10,075,851,995 per month for the National Universities and another 70% in the month of May, reaching $14,224,732,213 per month, totaling a 140% increase over the base allocation of $5,926,971,777 per month," the Executive indicated in a statement.
"Operating expenses" at national universities represent just 10 percent of their total budget, with the majority remaining in salaries. That budget fraction is the one that the Government granted a second update.
After a symbolic hug to the UBA Clinical Hospital, which this Thursday kept traffic on Córdoba Avenue interrupted, the Government ordered "an extraordinary item to meet the needs of the university hospitals of $14,403,479,661. It updated another item, this on an exceptional basis".
Meanwhile, on the rectors' side, they denounce that the agreement never existed but was only a proposal. The thing is that half of the funds that the universities claim will be sent. Furthermore, they accuse the official announcement of trying to stop the national march called for Tuesday by the faculties themselves in support of the UBA.
"This is not an agreement but rather a government announcement," the CIN said in a statement, in addition to clarifying that next Tuesday's march is still in force.