El Salvador slashes funds for 2024 municipal roadworks

El Salvador’s government has cut the funds for carrying out municipal roadworks this year, which could mean fewer projects. 

According to daily La Prensa Gráfica, the 2024 budget bill assigns US$431mn to the department for municipal works (DOM), of which US$319mn will come from national fund FGN, US$108mn from loans that have been transferred to the department, and US$3.9mn from donations. 

DOM’s municipal projects unit has been assigned US$286mn, which is US$14mn more than in 2023, the report said. 

However, the 2024 budget for road infrastructure overseen by the department was cut by over US$70mn to US$138mn in 2024.

The program for other infrastructure works saw its budget increased by US$125mn this year. 

That program has been questioned by opposition lawmakers for being ambiguous and not identifying specific projects. 

“They have found in the DOM an institution to keep acting in a non-transparent way, without accountability. The increases [in the budget] are pretty vague. It does not identify projects and works by name,” said congresswoman Anabel Belloso in an October budget debate with DOM officials, according to the same report.