Supreme Court cuts 15.1% off its budget as an austerity measure

Mexico's Supreme Court ( SCJN ) anticipates an MXN $852.8 million cut to their 2019 budget , to adjust their expenses to the austerity measures announced by the President Minister, Luis María Aguilar Morales.

The project, that will be delivered to the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) for its analysis in Congress , emphasizes that the SCJN will request MXN 4,000 million 782,300 thousand for their 2019 budget, which is 15.1% less than 2018's budget, which amounted to MXN $5, 635 million 107,441.

The austerity measures announced by minister Aguilar Morales last August are reflected in a Decalogue of the budget, which includes cuts in protocol expenses, congresses, conventions, travel expenses, fares, cultural activities, and a decrease in car purchases.

The minister then ordered the Court, the Council of the Federal Judiciary , and the Electoral Tribunal to establish actions that allow “more efficiency, effectiveness, rationality, and austerity ” in the use of public resources.

He says that the judicial branch is not foreign to the economic, political, and social challenges the country is facing and that these strategies look “not to risk the independence and autonomy of the jurisdictional bodies”.

The document obtained by EL UNIVERSAL “shows an important effort in regards to the resources allocated to the delivery of justice, human rights protection, and the enshrined guarantees in the Mexican legal system.

In regards to the ministers' salaries, the document doesn't establish any alteration, therefore, they will receive MXN $266,841 net per month.

Travel expenses, plane and bus fares, national and international, for the members of the Court , are among the intended cuts.

In its proposal, the Court specifies that it doesn't contemplate the possibility of hiring private plane or helicopter services to transport any minister, official, or public servant from the institution.

In 2019 , it will look to cancel the purchase of cars for public servants, and assets, gadgets, bibliographic material for the institutional network, and equipment for the Judicial channel.

Other areas where the Court will save up money will be the organization of congresses, conventions, and training, as well as in cultural and social activities, such as museum visits, workshops, travels, and activities for the employees and their families.

“An evaluation of the historic budget in these areas was carried out, as well as the requirements for the 2019 fiscal year , through which the priority requirements for the continuation of the institutional programs and services were determined, adjusting the budget in service, rent, rights, maintenance and property and technological equipment rehabilitating, consumables, research projects, printing expenses, among other areas”, says the document.

Congress owes Mexicans austerity

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