In a speech on Monday Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
suggested that as the Communal Councils spread they will
also deepen and will become the new Venezuelan state taking
over what he described as the old "bourgeois state".
According to President Chavez in an announcement earlier
this week the BCV [Venezuelan Central Bank] is to be brought
under the direct control of the government.
Original source URL:
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2188
Venezuelan Government Announces $5 Billion for Communal Councils in 2007
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
By: Steven Mather - Venezuelanalysis.com
Caracas , January 10, 2007
(venezuelanalysis.com)- The Venezuelan government
announced Monday that $5 billion dollars will be
available for the new participatory democratic
institutions the Communal Councils in 2007. The
Intergovernmental Fund for Decentralisation
(Fides) will be responsible for distributing the
money.
The additional money means the funds available to
the Communal Councils will more than triple the
$1.5 billion of 2006. Part of the increase can be
accounted for due to the expected increase in the
number of Communal Councils in Venezuela.
At the end of last year there were a reported
13,000 across the country. This is expected to
increase to 21,000 by the end of this year.
The Communal Councils came into being in April
2006 with the passing of the Communal Council Law
by the National Assembly. They are intended to
provide a participatory democratic body for
communities to manage and develop themselves.
Prior to the law being introduced there were
separate projects such as the Social Missions and
the Urban Land Committees.
The new institution is designed to pull these
distinct programmes together so a strategic view
can be taken of what the community needs as a
whole. The funds will be for education,
construction, transport, health, agriculture and
housing related projects.
According to the president of Fides Richard Canán
how much money is made available to specific
Communal Councils will depend in large part on
how it performs in managing and planning the
resources it obtains, "If the projects are cross
community managed they will be given more and if
the community uses the funds well there will also
be more money for new projects", he said.
The idea is that there is a community of around
200 - 400 families for each Communal Council and
all members of each community over the age of 15
can participate in the process and put forward
ideas for development.
In a speech on Monday Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez suggested that as the Communal Councils
spread they will also deepen and will become the
new Venezuelan state taking over what he
described as the old "bourgeois state".
Increased International Reserve Funds Available for Development Projects
As the international reserves continue growing at
the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) an additional
$7 billion will be designated to the Venezuelan
National Development Fund (Fonden), President
Hugo Chávez said last week.
The government requires that the BCV achieves and
'optimum' level of reserves each year which it
must accomplish along side setting interests and
reaching inflation targets. Any surplus is
transferred to Fonden, which uses it for
industrial development. The monies can only be
spent on foreign purchases or the paying off of
Venezuela's external debt.
According to President Chavez in an announcement
earlier this week the BCV is to be brought under
the direct control of the government.
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