Pagina Siete reports:
ACCORDING TO THE 2013 HALF-YEARLY FISCAL DOSSIER
Comibol staff spending soared in the past six years
In the cash flow of the State mining company, expenditures for personal services (salaries) increased from Bs7.4 million to Bs709 million. [how about this ochlocratic government??!!]
Expenditures for the payment of salaries to workers of the Corporación Minera de Bolivia (Comibol) soared in only six years from 7.4 to 709 million Bolivians.
According to the 2013 half-yearly Fiscal Dossier, prepared by the Ministry of Economy, the State mining company cash flow reports that its disbursements increased from 48.6 million in 2006, to 1,863 billion in 2012.
Until the first half of this year, the accumulated amount of expenditure is 996,1 million. Resources for personal services total 304 million (see graphics).
Thursday, October 31st, President Evo Morales demanded that the public mining companies are profitable, to ward off criticisms about the State administration.
“What is the responsibility of our mining companies? First, we must ensure their sustainability; If a State-owned mining company is not sustainable, neo-Liberals are again going to say that the [union] leaders and the Government do not know how to manage their company,”said Morales in Huanuni, in the 61st year ceremony of the nationalization of the mines.
In September, the President of the Comibol, Marcelino Quispe, told Pagina Siete that wages that are perceived in the State-owned company are “low” and even that is the reason why there is a “brain drain” to other countries or to private companies.
Quispe made the statement after being asked about if the salaries of more than 400 workers in the administrative side will be reviewed.
COMIBOL is in charge of the sulfuric acid factory in Eucaliptos and mining companies in Huanuni, Colquiri and Corocoro, among others.
In the case of Huanuni, the Government criticized, in May, about the high wages of their employees, because at least 450 workers receive salaries from Bs15,000 to Bs50,000. [despite the order to limit the salaries of public employees, below to those of current president]
The bulky form was revealed in the indefinite strike that employees complied with, after the convocation of the COB, which demanded better retirement pension.
In the main mine of tin in the country, 800 to 4,600 miners staff increased in 2006, but, paradoxically, productivity fell two fine metric tons (TMF) per worker to half-ton.
Even the Huanuni utilities decreased from $33.7 million dollars, in 2011, to $12 million, in 2012, according to data from the State mining company.
In the case of Colquiri, President Evo Morales questioned the company obtained worse results after its reversion to the State to lower its production of tin and zinc, despite having more workers, because it had 959 and currently there are 1,249.
The Huanuni mine production
Extraction in a year, tin production from the company Minera Huanuni, fell by 11.5%, due to failures in the Santa Elena and Machacamarca Mills, to the depletion of the veins of the site due to lack of investment and social conflicts in May of this year. According to data from the Ministry of mines, the State company added a production of 6,441 fine metric tons (TMF) until September 2012, but similar period this year only extracted 5,702 TMF.
Monthly figures from the Ministry of mines, in a month, in September 2012, the volume produced of tin came to 849 TMF. On the other hand, in September this year, only 770 tons were processed.
Comparison according to the Ministry of mines, in April production reached 701 fine metric tons fine (TMF) of tin; in May, it fell to 190 metric tons, because of the strike of the COB, for two weeks, which the workers complied. The Government said that half a million dollars was lost per day not worked.
An ochlocratic government more interested to perpetuate in power is throwing down the drain, the best ever international prices of our minerals and gas… it is just plain shame on the incompetence of this group of individuals who are worth nothing!
Bolivian Thoughts 