Athletes with Scholarships Spend More Per Diems than A Secretary of State
<p style="text-align:justify">The SIGEN states that there were athletes subsidized by the Sports Secretariat that when they traveled to some competition they took in higher amounts in accommodation, food and transfers of what would correspond to an official who is in the same place. The delegations had more companions than athletes. There is "some discretion" in the selection of fellows.</p>
According to a work of the General Office of the Nation (SIGEN, for its acronym in Spanish), there were athletes subsidized by the Secretariat of Sports who attended competitions and spent more money in per diems - accommodation, food and transfers - than would correspond to a secretary of state who Is in the same place.
In addition, it was detected that some delegations that traveled to the different tournaments "were integrated by a greater number of people linked indirectly (leaders, coaches, doctors, assistants), than by athletes themselves," said the control agency, which approved its report Last year on data for 2007.
Due to the "strong intervention of the Federations", the Syndicate observed "certain discretion in the selection process" of the athletes who received the subsidy from the Secretariat of Sports, a unit that, during the execution of the report, operated under the orbit of The Office of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Also, since the Secretariat did not have a formally approved strategic plan that included the year's competences, SIGEN highlighted the "lack of uniform criteria" for choosing which international tournaments to send to athletes.
Regarding the subsidies granted by Sports, the report pointed to the lack of an integrated administrative procedure to process economic support, and the absence of a single regulatory body regulating the delivery and surrender of subsidies, instances in which a "Deficient financial and legal operations."
"It was observed the existence of economic supports that are delivered without signing the respective agreements; others, who were denied without due foundation; and, in some cases, were granted to entities that have not rendered previous transfers, not complying with current legal regulations," the agency said.
However, the SIGEN adds that there are no pre-established criteria for assessing the degree of compliance of the entities receiving subsidies.
On the other hand, according to the SIGEN, there is no "integrated database of all beneficiaries of economic support" in the Sports Secretariat.
