The Superintendency of Public Services determined that the company does not have the structural and financial capacity to guarantee the aqueduct, sewerage and cleaning services of the inhabitants of the municipalities. EPM will be in charge of the intervention.
The Superintendency of Public Services ordered the intervention of the Public Services Company of Providencia and Santa Catalina (P&K), since it determined that it does not have the structural and financial capacity to guarantee the aqueduct, sewerage and cleaning services of the inhabitants of the archipelago (Providencia and Santa Catalina).
The Government explained that the intervention is motivated by recurring deficiencies in technical, operational, administrative and financial aspects that put service provision in these two municipalities at risk. Likewise, it was identified that there are normative and regulatory breaches, low coverage in the aqueduct and cleaning; and almost nil in sewerage.
Superintendent Natasha Avendaño García explained that “P & K’s current provision scheme is not sustainable due to financial insufficiency, absence of environmental permits for the final waste disposal activity; as well as difficulties in obtaining the supplies and equipment necessary for water treatment, and declarations of public calamity and manifest urgency issued by the Mayor’s Office of Providencia and Santa Catalina, after the passage of Hurricane Iota. Despite the inspection, surveillance and control measures that we carried out before and after the hurricane, which caused damage to 98% of the infrastructure on the islands, there were no improvements in the provision of services, which led us to take possession of the company to guarantee its inhabitants the effective provision of public services ”.
This intervention represents an innovation, since the superintendency appointed the Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) as a special agent of a legal nature. This is the first time that a company serves as an auditor.
“We appointed EPM to advance the intervention process of this company taking into account that a high-level technical direction is required, which acts in conjunction with the National Government for the reconstruction of Providencia and Santa Catalina. The objective is to meet the priority needs of the community, improving the provision of services in the shortest possible time, ”explained Avendaño.
The resolution issued by the Government establishes a year of intervention but the period may be extended if necessary.