August 25, 2016
The Follow up Committee to the Investment of the Royalties of Coal and Oil– CSIR – of El Cesar was created in the year 2004, which required a commitment of a citizen oversight group in the execution of resources for the welfare of the region.
The relaunch of CSIR was held, by the private sector and headed by the University Foundation of the Andean Area (Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina), with the purpose of offering the communities of El Cesar more information on the investments of resources that are generated by reason of royalties coming from coal and oil, on August 19, 2016.
For the operation of the Committee, the Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, with the support of Drummond Ltd., assumed the leadership, first by guiding the community in the task of being better informed on the administration of the contributions of royalties and of projects that are funded with the resources. Secondly, it will support the strengthening of the networks of citizen oversight groups. Thirdly, it will train the public servants on issues of planning projects, acknowledging with it the importance that the mining activity in the regional and national economy exerts, as well as in the progress of the municipalities that are located close to the mining operations of El Cesar.
In this occasion, the Governor of El Cesar, Mr. Francisco Ovalle Angarita, the President of the National Mining Agency (ANH), Ms. Silvana Habib; the President of Drummond Ltd., Mr. José Miguel Linares attended the relaunching of CSIR. The Dean of the Andean Area – Valledupar section and the current President of CSIR – Cesar, Gelca Gutiérrez Barranco were also present. The Controller General of the Nation, Mr. Edgardo Maya Villazón, and the Regional Manager of the Colombian Central Bank (Banco de la República), Mr. Jaime Bonet Morón who presented specific figures and their sights set on the investment of royalties in the country were also present as invited speakers in the academic event.
During the event a special acknowledgement was made to Mrs. María Clara Quintero de Daza for her work as Technical Secretary of CSIR for the previous 9 years.
In a prior meeting, the Director of the National Planning Department, Mr. Simón Gaviria made an analysis on the situation of El Cesar on its investments by reason of royalties and to the challenges that this department faces through the development of its municipalities. He let it be known that the investment of the royalty resources in El Cesar have backed up the funding of approximately 387 projects in areas such as health, education, social protection, culture, sports, recreation and transportation. These projects have been funded with approximately 2.6 trillion* Colombian pesos, of which 1.2 trillion* Colombian pesos correspond to the Royalties General System.
This committee is an important tool for overseeing how the contributions that the Department of El Cesar receives are administered.
As a complement, Drummond Ltd. and Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Magdalena section, signed an agreement to train public staff members from El Cesar and Magdalena in the planning of projects with resources coming from royalties, so that they are vigilant on the follow up and the technical supervision of the investment of the resources in the interests of the community, through the growth and institutional strengthening of its public servants.
