LLYC Bogota’s AAPP team analyzes President Gustavo Petro’s roadmap for the next four years

After three months of deliberations, last May 5, the Congress of the Republic approved the National Development Plan 2022 -2026 known as “Colombia World Power of Life”, which constitutes the roadmap that will guide the government of President Gustavo Petro during his term of office. The Plan will be focused on closing social gaps and empowering communities and territories that have been excluded from decision making.

During this time, LLYC Bogota’s Public Affairs team, focused on analyzing the current political situation in Colombia, has carried out a detailed monitoring of the Petro government’s new legislative proposals, analyzing the more than 7,000 proposed amendments that were put forward and attending the debates that took place in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The result of this work is presented in the new report “National Development Plan 2022-2026: The route marked by the government of Gustavo Petro”.

The social component, the leading role of the State and the reduced participation of the private sector in the fulfillment of the government’s goals are the keys to the roadmap set by the first left-wing government in Colombia. And this poses a challenge for the private sector, which will have to adapt to the new government priorities. “The measures of the Development Plan bring several challenges for the private sector, which must remain proactive and proactive to articulate with the new priorities of the government and respond to the demands of a more active citizenry,” said Luz Angela Sanchez, Senior Director of Public Affairs in Bogota.

Among the differentials of the National Development Plan, some central elements stand out:

– The social component is prioritized where 68% of the investment for the four years will focus on the axes of transformation of human security and social justice and the human right to food. This includes subsidy measures such as the Renta Ciudadana program, the zero hunger in-kind transfer, subsidies to public services, among others.

– The territories are the central axis of land management and, above all, will play a fundamental role in the face of comprehensive rural reform. The updating and cadastral management, as well as the instruments for the management of assets in the process of extinguishment of ownership, will contribute to the redistribution pursued by the government.

– Transportation, justice and education are also prioritized sectors in the Development Plan through measures such as the strengthening of road safety actions, the construction of the Ten-Year Plan for the Justice System and the adoption of financial measures to alleviate educational credits. 

– The Plan lays the foundations for the reform of the health care system by strengthening the mechanisms for the administration of public resources and making progress in elements for the promotion of the local pharmaceutical industry. 

– The financial sector will play a relevant role in financial inclusion, especially in vulnerable communities that have not had access to credit for business promotion. 

– Regarding the objective of energy transition, the Plan establishes measures such as the creation of a surcharge on gross energy sales per generation for those new plants that are not yet in operation and that are located in areas with greater solar radiation and higher wind speed.

Read the complete study by clicking here.