Background on Key Players and Relevance
Héctor Saúl Téllez Hernández, a Panista (member of the National Action Party) and Mexican federal deputy, has raised concerns about a potential “corruption scheme” involving the National Customs Administration (ANAM), Infotec, and the Digital Transformation Agency through the FIDEMICA trust. His intervention highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in public-private partnerships, especially when taxpayer money is involved.
The Allocation of Funds and Concerns
In 2020, Infotec, led by José Merino at the time, received a transfer of over 650 million pesos from the FIDEMICA trust. This funding was intended for developing customs software to reduce dependency on private company programs and streamline tax collection, registration of invoices, and overall customs operations. However, Téllez Hernández claims that these funds were not utilized effectively, with no transparency or accountability regarding their use.
- The funds were meant for software development to improve customs operations.
- No programs were developed, and there was a lack of transparency in the process.
- The resources seem to have “disappeared” without any clear outcome.
Recent Developments and Calls for Action
In 2022, the new customs director, Horacio Duarte, requested information about the mentioned agreement’s compliance. Unfortunately, the response was evasive, with no clear explanation of what happened to the funds.
This year, Infotec has once again received funding through the Public Fideicomiso for Managing Counterparties (FACLA), one of the few that survived former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decree on fideicomisos’ extinction.
Téllez Hernández plans to request the attendance of officials from:
- Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT)
- Infotec
- National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM)
to ensure transparency in the use of these resources. He has also threatened to file a criminal complaint if no satisfactory answers are provided, urging the Federal Audit Superior to conduct a special audit into the resource allocation.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the issue at hand? A Mexican lawmaker is demanding clarity on over 650 million pesos granted to Infotec for customs software development, alleging a corruption scheme.
- Who are the key players? The National Customs Administration (ANAM), Infotec, and the Digital Transformation Agency are involved.
- What is the concern regarding the funds? The lawmaker claims that the allocated funds were not used effectively, with no transparency or accountability in their application.
- What actions is the lawmaker taking? He plans to request officials’ attendance for transparency and has threatened to file a criminal complaint if no satisfactory answers are provided.
