The amount and nature of many of the sociological problems we face as a border vary greatly from those problems experienced in other areas of the country. That is why, in 1982, the Colegio de la Frontera Norte Institution (COLEF) was founded; it aims to generate scientific knowledge on phenomena experienced in the Mexico-US border region. Every year the government provides stratospheric sums in order to manage various investigations, but do the results of these investigations have a palpable impact on the northern border? Is the public budget allocated to this institution being used responsibly? Or is it being spent on superfluous and unnecessary expenses?

These questions are the result of local media’s press release stating that the President of COLEF, Tonatiuh Guillén López, uses the institution’s budget, which is meant for research, to travel and eat at expensive restaurants and bars where he has paid $685,000 pesos ($51,613 USD) and tipping more than $200 pesos ($15 USD). However, this is not a unique case. Other researchers have also made exorbitant charges when they make submissions on behalf of the College. Some of them, eating in fine restaurants and renowned bars, have paid dinner bills over $600,000 pesos ($45,208 USD) under the institution’s name.

Additionally, COLEF managers have also organized courses, seminars and lectures where they disproportionally spend on wine boxes and rent luxurious tablecloths for their closing banquets.

The institution’s result it is not exactly proportionate to their budget and its executive salaries. Based on information provided by COLEF’s transparency portal, Dr. Guillén López perceives between gross salary and ordinary perceptions $2,489,095 pesos ($187,548 USD) a year. Now, if one takes into account that each investigation by the COLEF cost about three million dollars, and it is noted that this year the school’s budget is $376,598,049 pesos ($28,375,800 USD), how can one explain their poor performance?

According to the Institution’s general performance review corresponding to the first half of 2013, and based on the self-assessment report presented by its president, Tonatiuh Guillén, its economic sustainability index decreased by 35%, science and technology production defaulted by 26%, and 25% of the projects approved did not reach their goal, and, lastly the contribution to resolving 100% of regional demands were not met.

If the government has scheduled $941,060,286 pesos ($70,906,800 USD) this year for science and technology, COLEF will receive $376,598,049 pesos ($941,061,000 USD) for this purpose and an extra $203 million pesos ($15 million USD) (to be shared between CICESE and COLEF). How much will actually be put to use for socioeconomic research?

Surely COLEF will have to correct its excesses and exercise its budget in a more effective way, build a new equilibrium in order that each peso spent on the public can be justified as a contribution to the improvement and development of the region.

Para más noticias visita BusinessConexion

Sigue a Business Conexion en Facebook, Google+ y Linkedin

editorial@businessconexion.com