Budgeting for development

The Government of the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, through the Minister of Finance, Alejandro Zelaya, together with Vice Minister Jerson Posada, delivered the Draft Law on the General State Budget for fiscal year 2022, to the president of the Legislative Assembly, Ernesto Castro and deputy Christian Guevara, president of the Finance and Special Budget Commission.

The preliminary draft of the 2022 Budget, made by the Executive Branch, amounts to a total of US$7,967.7 million, which includes a public investment program with an allocation of US$ 1,701 million, US$ 333 million more than the previous year. Thus, it seeks to generate a catalytic effect for private investment and positively impact national economic growth.

In this way, strategic bets are being consolidated in the Health, Education, Security and Defense Branches, for which 43.2% of the total budget and 11.9% of GDP have been allocated.

In addition, the National Policy to Support Early Childhood Development “Crecer Juntos” coordinated by the Office of the First Lady of the Republic, Gabriela de Bukele, includes a total financing of US$ 321 million, in order to develop important interventions to renew education and Public health of Salvadoran children.

It should be noted that the Education Branch, according to the strategic priorities of the Central Government, has an allocation of US$ 1.47 billion, equivalent to 5.1% of GDP. This places El Salvador above the average investment in education in the region and equates it with the levels of developed countries.

On the other hand, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to have a health system that can meet the health needs of the population; In this sense, the Government of President Nayib Bukele has allocated US$ 1,083 million to the Health Branch budget, representing 3.8% of GDP.

Likewise, to continue with the historical results in terms of citizen security, the 2022 Budget Project contemplates an allocation of US$ 890 million for this branch, equivalent to 3.1% of GDP, this will allow reinforcing the strategies to combat crime in which it stands out the Territorial Control Plan, and guarantee the tranquility of Salvadoran families.

Similarly, the strong commitment to infrastructure development and an improvement in road connectivity in the country stands out, with an investment of US$ 227 million in the Public Works Branch, which seeks to boost the processes of freight transport and incentivize economic exchanges at the national level, through works such as the Los Chorros Viaduct and highway expansion and the “Gerardo Barrios” By-Pass in San Miguel.

The 2022 Budget Project presented by the Government of President Nayib Bukele, is a commitment to development and economic growth, which will consolidate El Salvador as a benchmark in terms of innovation and financial responsibility in the region, through a historic public investment and an efficient use of resources, prioritizing the welfare of Salvadorans.