The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) kicked off a series of coordination meetings this week with agencies and entities of the Executive Branch to begin drafting the General National Budget (PGN) project for the 2027 fiscal year. The meetings, led by the Vice Ministry of Financial Administration (VAF), aim to gather updated information on the institutional, financial, and budgetary situation of each portfolio.
On Monday, MEF technical teams met with representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC). On Tuesday, it was the turn of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare and the Ministry of the Interior. For Wednesday, meetings are scheduled with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and the Ministry of Children and Adolescents. Later in the week, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic), and other public institutions will also be called in.
According to the MEF, the dialogue facilitates early identification of priorities, risks, and critical situations that require monitoring or specific actions in the budget process. “These meetings aim to gather updated and relevant information on the institutional, financial, and budgetary situation of each entity, in order to strengthen strategic analysis, planning, and decision-making within the framework of the budget programming process and fiscal management,” the ministry highlighted.
The main focus of the meetings is the strategic programs and projects planned for the 2027 PGN, with an emphasis on identifying priorities, high-impact initiatives, financing needs, and key institutional challenges. The financial situation of the entities is also analyzed, including indebtedness, accumulated liabilities, origin of debts, and institutional forecasts, to seek alternatives for regularization and strengthening of financial management. At the same time, the meetings serve to follow up on the financial and budgetary situation of the 2026 fiscal year.
The President's Advisor for Social and Economic Affairs, Juan José Galeano, stated that “the key is not to keep increasing the level of debt.” He acknowledged that a large part of rigid spending corresponds to salary payments in sensitive sectors such as health, education, security, and social transfers, but stressed that the challenge is to improve efficiency. “We must improve the efficiency of this spending, ensure that every guarani invested in these sectors reaches the citizens,” he declared. Galeano mentioned progress at the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Institute (IPS), especially in health, pensions, and payments.