According to a report by the General Auditor’s Office (AGN, its acronym in Spanish), municipalities were affected by the pollution of the Riachuelo that delayed almost two years and is held accountable for funds received to carry out sanitation work.

The report, that analyzed the administrations during the first semester of 2012 and was approved last year –Resolution 103/2013-, said that the municipalities of Almirante Brown and Las Heras took 23 months to justify the use of the funds sent by the Matanza Riachuelo River Basin Authority (ACUMAR).

However, these two municipalities weren’t the only ones that delayed on detailing the use of the transfers. The AGN mention: “All the municipalities (involved) have been intimidated sometime in presenting accountabilities", although no penalties were recorded for these delays.

In this sense, the investigation detailed that, by the end of the field work, “24% had still to present the documentation showing the transfers in the amount of $ 4.388.125”. 

The Construction Jobs (And Holidays)

Concerning the physical progress of the construction jobs analyzed in this report, the Federal watchdog observed that they were fully completed, and added that the only item that remained was the transfer of those entrepreneurships to the Aysa Water Company (AySA) for management, use, and operation.

The jobs were inspected by the CEMR, also known as the Executing Committee Matanza Riachuelo and by AySA, from where they affirmed that “they don’t owe any jobs”. 

Furthermore, when analyzing the financial progress of these works, the auditors found that the companies would be enabled to calculate prices redeterminations to date the "Provisional Acceptance Certificate", which finally did not happen. What was the consequence of this situation? The AGN affirmed that “they can’t determine the final value of the works”.

In another part of its investigation, the Federal watchdog told the case of the construction of a parametric fence designed to protect construction jobs that were to taking place in Lanús, more specifically in an industrial park and a treatment plant for sewer effluents.

According to the AGN, although the agreement to carry out the undertaking (signed between the Municipality of Lanús and ACUMAR) dated from July 2009, to October of that year the construction job had not been executed.

Finally, the construction jobs started in January 2010 and ended in April 2011, registering an eleven month delay. The Federal watchdog says: “The delays were due to several factors mentioned in the memorandum elevated to the Water Resources Assistant Secretary, like the intrusion of neighbors, physical aggressions on location, climate, and non-working days”.

Another Report, More Delays

The Federal Watchdog approved, also last year, another report (Resolution 82/2013) in which various accountabilities defaults were detected. For instance, the lack of formal requirements, inconsistencies in the accountability lists, and a lack of evidence of control tasks by the Management Unit.

From these findings, the Federal watchdog considered the accountability process as "irregular", and particularly, program 44 “Actions for Improving Housing and Basic Infrastructure”, and 45 “Strengthening Community Habitat", have a "high degree of failure".

Another failure observed by the auditors regarding the work of the municipalities, is related to the "obligation to individualize the bank account based on the programs and agreements signed.” It was noted that the Municipalities received in the same account the funds that are designated to different initiatives. 

The Construction Jobs and the Delays

The Resolution 82/2013 of the audit also analyzed the ventures undertaken as part of the remediation work. In its exertion the Federal watchdog audited 77 projects and concluded that, of that total, 18% had not begun at the time of analysis, while among those who were in progress, 56% had delays of 16 months on average.

In non-started construction jobs appears the construction of 300 housings in Avellaneda, even though the project disposed, at the time of the investigation, a financial progress of 19%.

In Merlo, they also didn’t begin the improvement jobs in 23 homes, although the municipality has received a financial progress of 50% of the planned budget. 

It should be noted that they disposed a financial progress of 100% for the construction of a shelter buses in the Matanza, but the works had yet to begin when the AGN realized the investigation. 

Moreover, delays are noticed in most of the work scheduled for the City, punctually for about 330 houses, with delays that go from 21 to 38 months, more than 1.140 days, and financial progress, in every case, of 48% of the stipulated budget.