The National Association of Insured of the Social Security Institute (IPS) delivered a note on Tuesday at the Caja Central headquarters in Asunción, expressing indignation over the lack of immediate response from the new authorities. The group requested an urgent hearing on April 23, but the administration scheduled the meeting only for June 17, which they consider unacceptable given the gravity of the situation.
Cristina Machaín, vice president of the association, criticized the board's stance: “They didn't even have the courtesy to communicate or give a response by phone. For us it is extremely urgent, because we not only make complaints but also bring proposals.” Julio López, president of the association, stated that the immediate solution requires the Executive Branch to declare a health emergency, allowing direct purchases of medicines and supplies. “One month into the new administration, our compatriots continue wandering the hallways crying out for dignified care,” López denounced, representing between 800 and 900 members among active workers, retirees, and pensioners.
The IPS Board of Directors, led by Isaías Fretes and with the presence of new board member Mirtha Arias, revealed a structural crisis in its real estate portfolio. During Tuesday's session, the board admitted that the pension fund is “tied” by its own organic law, which prohibits the Retirement and Pension Fund from using resources to pay taxes or maintain properties. One example is a property on Jordania Street in Asunción, received in 2006 as payment in kind for a debt of G$ 400 million. The land is now worth G$ 2.6 billion, but the building is uninhabitable and has eight years of overdue municipal taxes, totaling more than G$ 67 million.
To try to reverse the situation, the board opened lease offers with an investment commitment. The most competitive proposal provides for a monthly rent of G$ 4.4 million, conditional on an investment of G$ 482 million to rebuild the building. Also discussed was the creation of a Property Management Directorate, with autonomy to settle tax debts and turn the IPS's nearly 800 properties into profitable assets.
Additionally, the board adopted oversight measures on medical contracts with low execution rates, postponed the million-dollar tender for biological and immunosuppressive drugs for further analysis, and authorized the purchase of general supplies through the Virtual Store of the National Directorate of Public Procurement, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and increase transparency.