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Two years in office of President Iván Duque Márquez With a roadmap drawn up on August 7, 2018 and the National Development Plan 'Pact for Colombia, Pact for Equity', built on the pillars of Legality, Entrepreneurship and Equity, the Government of President Iván Duque Márquez advances in different programs, initiatives and strategies to increase the well-being of Colombians. These are some of his government’s main achievements in these two years:
Legality "When a government faces drug trafficking, it is not only facing the crime itself, but it is also affecting the criminal chain that ruins the economy with distortions." Iván Duque Márquez 1. Greater reduction in illicit crops In 2019, there was a 9% reduction in the area of illicit crops in the country, going from 169,000 hectares in 2018 to 154,000 in 2019. 101,273 hectares were manually eradicated (data from the National Program for the Substitution of Crops for Illicit Use-PNIS and Public Force). This year, as of 30 June, 39,515 hectares have been eradicated. The number of Mobile Eradication Groups also went from 23 in July 2018 to 150 in November 2019, and to 196 in March 2020. In addition, more than 428 tons of cocaine hydrochloride were seized in 2019, 4% more than in 2018. Throughout this government 823 tons have been seized. 2. Life in prison for child murderers and rapists One of the proposals made in the campaign for the Presidency was to protect Colombian families and, especially, children. With support from Congress, it was possible to modify Article 34 of the Constitution, so that in cases of crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, torture, carnal access or abusive sexual acts with children under 14 years of age,
the sentence of life imprisonment can be imposed. Our purpose is that children do not suffer any form of violence. 3. Blows to organized crime leaders 115 leaders of Organized Armed Groups and Organized Criminal Groups have been neutralized between August 7, 2018 and June 30, 2020, comprising arrests and deaths during operations of the Public Force. 4. Lowest number of kidnappings Between January 1 and June 30, 2020, there was a 19% decrease in kidnapping cases, compared to the same period in 2019. While in 2019 there were 48 kidnappings, in 2020 there were 39, that is, 9 less. 2019 had the lowest figure of kidnappings ever, with 92 cases, which meant a reduction of 48% compared to the record of 2018, when 176 kidnappings were perpetrated in the country. 5. Third lowest homicide rate in 44 years Between January 1 and June 30, 2020, there was a 14% reduction in the number of homicides in the country, compared to the same period in 2019. In addition, in 2019 the homicide rate decreased compared to 2018, from 25.9 to 25.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. This was the third lowest homicide rate registered in Colombia since 1976.
6. Orion Campaign against drug trafficking With the participation of 26 countries during 285 days, 324.9 tons of cocaine hydrochloride were seized, equivalent to 177,897 hectares of coca crops, meaning that 811 million doses did not reach their destination. 59.7 tons of marijuana and more than 50 naval artifacts were seized, and more than 30 drug traffickers were captured. 7. Prevention of recruitment We updated the Public Policy for the Prevention of Recruitment, Use, Utilization and Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents, working with 29 territorial entities and with the participation of 10 civil society organizations and international organizations. Identifying 197 municipalities with the highest risk, the action plan was designed to protect minors in these territories; the execution began on July 31 and will benefit 5.5 million minors. 8. Far-reaching laws for Colombians In harmonious work with the Congress, as of 30 June 2020, 24 laws and two legislative acts (constitutional reforms) have been enacted. Some of the most important ones are the constitutional reform to prohibit considering kidnapping and drug trafficking as offences connected with political offences, the anticorruption laws on conflict of
interest, the publication of the declaration of assets and income and the registry of conflict of interests of public servants and contractors, in addition to the penalties for those convicted of corruption and excluding house arrest for those crimes. There is also the adoption of standard contracts in public procurement, the reform of the General Royalties System, the creation of the Ministry of Sports, the modernization of the ICT sector and the Law to honor for students who died in the terrorist attack to the General Santander School of Cadets. 9. Peace with Legality Policy We are adopting structural and detailed measures to begin transforming the living conditions of more than 6.6 million people, the most affected by situations of violence and poverty, based on the planning, articulation and execution of works required by the communities themselves, in order to begin to close the enormous gap that has divided Colombian society. 10. Development with Territorial Approach We structured the roadmaps for the Development Programs with a Territorial Approach (PDET) in 16 sub-regions to execute 32,000 initiatives proposed by the communities. With an investment of $141 billion, a total of 888 PDET works of community infrastructure have been completed in areas such
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as health, housing, education and sports, benefiting 76,000 families from rural areas. More than 2.6 trillion pesos have been invested for the transformation of the municipalities most affected by violence and poverty. The mayors of 170 municipalities incorporated the PDET policy into their development plans and long-term policies. 11. We are advancing with reintegration 1,500 collective and individual productive projects have been approved, for more than $ 40 billion, to benefit people in process of reincorporation. The 24 former Territorial Areas for Training and Reintegration (TATR) have been permanently established or relocated, where 2,877 ex-combatants reside, along with their families, receiving care, economic benefits and other guarantees. 98% of excombatants are affiliated with the Health System, 83% to the pension system and 97% have bank accounts. As per the National Development Plan, monthly financial guarantees have been disbursed for an approximate value of $200,000 million. 12. Individual reparation to victims Reparation has been made to 172,120 victims, for a value close to $ 1.47 billion pesos. 114,070 of are people over 74 years of age, contributing to the restoration of the rights of this population 13. Multipurpose Land Registry The Multipurpose Land Registry was put in place to allow better territorial planning and provide legal certainty to peasant land owners. Updating the cadastral information provides real information on the territory, limits, use, property and value, to achieve efficient use of resources, fair taxes and greater productivity in rural areas. An international loan for 150 million dollars was received for this project. Pilot processes and the reorganization of the Agustín Codazzi Geographical Institute began. 14. Model Contracts to stop irregularities in public procurement A regulatory decree on model contracts was issued to regulate the bidding processes for transport infrastructure works, thus ending with contracts designed to benefit a specific bidder, in prejudice of objective and transparent selection. In
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this way, greater competition and participation of bidders in public bids for public works was achieved. All of this leads to better prices, goods and services. 15. Veteran’s Law Law 1979 of 2019 (Veteran’s Law) was issued to honor and benefit more than 170.000 veterans of the Public Force. The norm promotes policies aimed at improving the conditions and quality of life of our retired military and police officers, disabled pensioners, honor reservists, and veterans who participated on behalf of the Republic of Colombia in international conflicts. 16. Timely Action Plan (PAO) In 2019, the Ministry of the Interior, through the Timely Action Plan (PAO) for the protection of social leaders, human rights defenders and journalists, visited 36 territories in 14 departments. The formulation of 10 departmental routes was also achieved to strengthen the timely and immediate attention of social leaders. 17. Progress in addressing judicial backlog In relation to accumulated judicial processes in contractual matters, progress has been made in solving 17% of the disputes, in accordance with a strategy created to reduce these cases by 50% in 2020. 18. Free from antipersonnel mines During 2019, President Iván Duque declared 113 municipalities without suspected contamination by antipersonnel mines. In the near future, 13 more municipalities will be declared, certified by the Inter-Institutional Humanitarian Demining Agency. 19. Fraternity with migrants Colombia has supported the reception of over 1.8 million migrants, 799,000 in regular immigration status and around 500,000 returned Colombians who have fled Venezuela due to the institutional, economic, humanitarian and social crisis. In addition, measures for investment, new jobs, humanitarian assistance, health and institutional strengthening have been supported in the border departments of Norte de Santander, Cesar, La Guajira, Arauca, Vichada and Guainía.
Entrepreneurship "I want to see a Colombia recognized for its competitiveness, for its inventiveness, for its entrepreneurial capacity, for being able to close social gaps and defeat any form of crime." Iván Duque Márquez 20. Boost to economic growth To reactivate the economy, finance social programs, increase formal employment and investment and promote greater formalization and equity, the Ministry of Finance promoted in Congress the adoption of the Financing Law, which allowed ensuring the financing of the social spending of the term 2019. The Financing Law of 2018 and the Economic Growth Law of 2019 sought to protect the most vulnerable population, as well as achieve a more equitable tax system, facilitate entrepreneurship, strengthen the DIAN (tax authority) and obtain a greater contribution from those who have high income and net worth. These laws contributed to recovering investment and stimulating economic growth and job creation. 21. Economic growth higher than the region’s average The performance of our economy between 2018 and 2020 was outstanding. The actions taken by the economic authorities have improved confidence and accelerated the recovery of the economy. Proof of this is that Colombian economic growth accelerated from 1.4% in 2017 to 2.7% in 2018. In addition, in the same period, tax collection increased 6%, surpassing the target established by the DIAN (tax authority). Similar results were achieved in 2019, when the rebound and recovery of the country's economy were sustained with an economic growth higher than in previous years and higher than the region’s average. Consistently, tax collection grew 9.3%, exceeding the goal set forth by the DIAN (tax authority). Before the arrival of the coronavirus in Colombia and the Mandatory Preventive Isolation, the Colombian economy was at a good pace during the first two months of 2020; the DANE (statistics authority) informed that there was an expansion of the economy of 3.5% in January, while in February it was of 4.1%. 22. Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Since April 2019, the Center for
the Fourth Industrial Revolution operates in Medellín, as part of a network of centers located in emblematic cities in terms of technological development. The Center participated in the execution of the G20 Smart Cities Initiative in public procurement processes for artificial intelligence (AI), as well as in blockchain technology projects in public bids, and the AI Board Toolkit. In 2020, the Center continues linked to world-class initiatives, such as the G20 Smart Cities Alliance, and others aimed at promoting the appropriation of technologies in the public and private sectors and in society in general. 23. 22 Pacts for Growth and Employment Generation 22 Pacts for Growth and Employment Generation were formulated with various economic sectors to identify bottlenecks, increase production capacity, create 1.1 million jobs and boost sales and exports. Of the 832 commitments accepted by the private sector, 517 actions were completed before the pandemic started, with progress being made on issues such as reduction of bureaucratic procedures, improvement of sector regulations and creation of new credit lines. 24. Multimodal transport is a reality After more than 30 years, we are back to moving cargo by rail from the center of the country to the main ports of the Caribbean. With an investment of around $1,250 million, the commercial operation was consolidated in the La Dorada-Chiriguaná railway corridor, which is connected by rail with Santa Marta, and by the Magdalena river with Cartagena and Barranquilla. It went from moving 1,186 tons in the first half of 2018, to 12,449 tons in the same period of 2019; during the first half of 2020, 21,520 tons have been mobilized. 25. Fair Payment Terms Law President Duque sanctioned the Fair Payment Terms Law, fulfilling a campaign promise. This law seeks to create conditions for micro, small and mediumsized companies to emerge and grow; energizes the economy and helps its reactivation. Fair payments terms will give cash flow, dynamism and investment to companies in the country in the midst of the situation caused by COVID-19. It will allow them to operate without having to turn to credits or financing
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mechanisms that imply interest and burdensome obligations. In this way, a solution is given to one of the causes of the closure of companies in Colombia.
in productivity of the companies intervened during 2019 by the program was 29%.
26. Easier access to State services and requirements
On October 9, 2018, the Pact for Decent Work was signed, thanks to which trade union organizations, business organizations and the National Government, headed by President Duque, committed to establishing relationships based on solidarity, fraternity, trust, a sense of belonging and mutual growth, based on social dialogue. 9 Pacts for Decent Work have been signed within the framework of forums held at the national level to promote the culture of labor legality, in the transport, hotel, hydrocarbon, construction, mining, coffee and health sectors.
The implementation of the "Simple, Agile Government" strategy is progressing, with intervention in high impact procedures, barriers and regulations and the elimination of outdated regulations, to increase the productivity of companies and favor the quality of life of citizens. 2,263 measures have been adopted, 1,638 of them regarding procedures, 197 barriers, and 428 norms, which is estimated to save more than $ 151,725 million for travel, waiting times, payment of correspondence, printing and copies. 27. The electronic invoice is now a reality Today, the Electronic Invoice has more than 138.000 authorized taxpayers and 218.000 registered taxpayers. During 2020, 313 million electronic invoices have been issued for a value of $ 571 billion. The platform has the capacity to process 80 million documents per day. The Electronic Invoice is the evolution of the traditional invoice. It has the same validity as paper, but it is generated, validated, issued, received, rejected and kept electronically, which represents greater advantages. 28. Simple Tax Regime The Economic Growth Law created the Simple Tax Regime. As of June 30, 2020, 15,551 taxpayers have registered for this new way of paying taxes. Likewise, through this new system, a tax collection of $ 220,075 million has been achieved, through the bimonthly advance form for the years 2019 and 2020. 29. Productivity factories for companies The Productivity Factories program was designed and implemented. 1,718 companies have received interventions from the program in its different lines: operational and labor productivity, energy efficiency, commercial management, logistics, quality, innovation management, product development and sophistication, technological management and sustainability. 1,244 have completed the intervention process. The average variation
30. Pact for Decent Work
31. Record figures in tourism In 2019, 4,515,932 non-resident visitors arrived in the country, 2.7% more than in 2018. The income reported in the travel and transportation account amounted to USD $ 6,751 million, 1.9% more compared to 2018 and the highest high in history. GDP in accommodation and food services grew 4% compared to 2018. 17 new international air routes and 39 frequencies were created. The country reached historical levels of hotel occupancy: 57.8%. More than 1.9 million people were occupied in activities related to tourism, which was also one of the largest generators of foreign exchange after oil. 32. Strengthening of regional laboratories The Ministry of Science issued a call to strengthen regional laboratories with the potential to provide scientific and technological services to address problems associated with high risk biological agents for human health. More than $ 202 billion were allocated from the Science, Technology and Innovation Fund of the General Royalties System to finance 35 projects. With additional efforts, 7 departments increased these resources and achieved an additional $ 45,865 million to finance up to 45 projects. 33. Competitive Alliances for Equity The Office of the Presidential Advisor for Competitiveness launched the Competitive Alliances for Equity program, with 8 Alliances formed thanks to USAID, in which about 100 million dollars are being mobilized from the private sector, in addition
to cooperation resources of 30 million dollars. The alliances promote actions related to productivity, development, competitiveness and territorial stabilization, and seek to promote development in the territories most hit by violence, through private investment and international cooperation. 34. Entrepreneurship Fund More than 538.000 entrepreneurs have been advised, creating about 6,182 companies and 4,911 formal jobs. Resources for more than $ 147 billion of social investment have been allocated, which allowed the creation of 1,212 formal companies and 6,977 formal jobs. 374 municipalities have been covered with financial leverage and technical support. We carried out two calls for the creative and cultural industries for more than $ 32,500 million, which allowed the creation, to date, of 262 new companies, which have generated 1,542 formal jobs in the creative sector. 35. Incentives for Orange Economy Tax incentives have been given to Orange Economy companies. An enterprise with annual net income of less than 2,700 million pesos may be exempt from income tax for 7 years. The decrees establish 25 classifications to benefit about 40,000 existing companies, plus those that arise before December 2021. There was also a 10-year extension of the Colombian Film Fund, as well as a tax incentive to leverage at least $ 300,000 million in investments and donations for projects in the creative economy, including the arts and cultural heritage. 36. Orange Development Areas With the leadership of the mayors, and the incentives and mechanisms created for the Orange Economy by the Government through the National Development Plan, the country has four declared Orange Development Areas: Barrio Abajo in Barranquilla, El Perpetuo Socorro in Medellín, and Centro and Antigua Licorera, in Cali. This year, the mayors of Ibagué, La Ceja, Palmira, Pamplona, Popayán, Tunja, Valledupar, Villapinzón and Villavicencio have advanced in the creation of others. 37. Orange Nodes and Creative Agendas With the help of territorial authorities, Chambers of
Commerce, universities and local creative unions, and with the technical support of the Regional Competitiveness Councils, 17 Orange Nodes have been activated. 14 mappings of creative and cultural industries have been developed in capital cities and 17 departmental creative agendas. This initiative is advancing in accordance with the 2018-2022 National Development Plan and with the district, municipal and departmental development plans. 38. Accompaniment to territorial authorities During 2020, we have responded to 3,000 requests from the 32 governors and 1,103 mayors, and held 9 tables for economic reactivation called 'A step forward', which have led to pilots to reopen shopping centers, manufacturing industry, air routes, intercity transportation, restaurants, and hotels. 39. Colombia’s accession to the OECD Colombia joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and created an institutional architecture for its effective participation. The country joined as member number 37 of this organization that seeks to achieve the highest standards in public policies to improve the well-being and quality of life of its citizens, and whose countries represent around 80% of world trade and investment. 40. Creation of PROSUR On March 1, 2019, Colombia withdrew from UNASUR, along with Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay. On March 22, 2019, in Chile, a presidential meeting was held in which the Declaration on the Renewal and Strengthening of the Integration of South America was signed, through which the Forum for the Progress of South America (PROSUR) was created between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Paraguay. 41. Digital transformation Progress was made in the Public Policy of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, the Public Policy of Cybersecurity, the X-Road Interoperability technical framework, digital citizen services and the implementation of more than 200 sector initiatives. CoronApp was developed and
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adopted as a mechanism to fight covid-19, with more than 11,300,000 downloads.
Equity "I want education to become the transformative tool that young people in Colombia demand so much, for them to have opportunities." Iván Duque Márquez 42. Increased budget for social programs The Nation’s General Budget prioritized the items of health, education, social inclusion, agriculture, sports and environment, in such a way that more resources could be allocated to these key sectors, to programs such as Families in Action and subsidies to public services in the sectors that need it most. In 2019, through a debt substitution operation, $ 14.5 trillion were added to the operation and investment of these sectors. For 2021, the Government presented to Congress a budget project for $ 314 billion, with a growth of 15.5% compared to the one executed this year ($ 271.7 billion). The priority that the Government has with this budget is to reactivate the economy, generating as many jobs as possible. 43. More resources for regional development In December 2018, the 20192020 biennial budget of the General Royalties System was approved for $ 24.2 billion, an increase of 67% compared to the previous period. This is essential to promote the development of the regions. During this period, public education will receive $ 2 billion, of which $ 1 billion will be invested in physical infrastructure for universities and institutes, and the rest to strengthen universities, basic education, and Bicentennial scholarships for doctoral excellence. 44. Reform to the Royalties System The reform of the Royalties System was approved in Congress increasing resources for the producing regions from 11% to 25%, and increasing resources for the most vulnerable municipalities. 45. Investments of $ 1,096 billion in the Development Plan The Congress of the Republic approved the 2018-2022 National Development Plan “Pact for
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Colombia, Pact for Equity”, as the roadmap for the Government of President Duque. In this Plan, three pillars are enshrined: legality, entrepreneurship and equity, making visible populations and problems that were not previously taken into account, in order to build a better country, stimulate economic growth and job creation, and reduce the rates of employment and inequality among Colombians. 46. The countryside at a click: contract agriculture With the Contract Agriculture strategy, progress is being made –as of July 3, 2020– with 53,548 producers who have signed trade agreements, of which 66% are men and 34% women, from the 32 departments of the country. Participating producers have achieved business closings with more than 480 business partners for an approximate value of $ 827 billion, which has impacted on better prices, safe markets, safe sales and reduced intermediation for producers. 47. More funding for education We went from having an education budget of $ 38.5 billion in 2018 to $ 44.1 billion in 2020, the highest in history. This means a growth of 6.41% compared to 2019 and a real growth of 11% compared to 2018. In this way, education became the sector with the largest budget compared to the total budget. For public higher education, in this fouryear period an additional $ 4.5 billion will be allocated from the Nation’s General Budget and the General Royalties System, to strengthen the operation and investment budgets of all public Higher Education Institutions in the country. 48. 116.787 young people are Generation E Through its Equity and Excellence components, Generation E has allowed 116,787 young people to have free access to higher education; by December we hope to reach 168,000 and by the four-year period we will meet the goal of 336,000. The beneficiary students in vulnerable conditions come from 1,094 municipalities from all 32 departments, which is 97.5% of all municipalities in the country. 49. Full school day and double degrees for young students More than 1.1 million boys and girls, equivalent to 16% of the enrollment, have access to the full school day, allowing them
to enjoy more and better time at school. By December there will be more than 300,000 young graduates with double degrees, with the support of the National Learning Service (SENA), and in 2022 we will reach 650,000. 50. Educational Infrastructure
for young people in a situation of poverty and vulnerability. A further 222,240 young people have benefited from the program, which represents 44.4% of the four-year goal. 55. “Sacúdete” strategy
During this Government, the Colombian Seniors Program increased its coverage by 185.000 new quotas that were distributed proportionally in the country’s municipalities. In addition, we increased the value of the subsidy by $ 80 thousand, benefiting more than 1.7 million senior citizens.
The Sacúdete (health, culture, sports, technology and entrepreneurship) strategy was designed to create meeting points for the youth and seeks to close economic and knowledge gaps through the construction of sustainable life projects. It is headed by the Office of the First Lady and works with the Presidential Advisor for Youth; it has technical support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the private sector. Another step in the care of young people was the creation of the Directorate of Adolescence and Youth in the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), whose fundamental task will be to promote the rights of this population group and join efforts in creating opportunities for their personal and social development.
52. Potable water and basic sanitation
56. Comprehensive early childhood care
In the first two years of government, we have provided drinking water service for the first time to 1,312,631 people throughout the national territory, helping to improve their quality of life. Likewise, 1,307,688 people have accessed basic sanitation solutions for the first time. With this strategy, we contribute to the closing of access gaps and move towards the universalization of these services.
Today, 1.5 million boys and girls under 5 years of age have quality initial education, within the framework of comprehensive care. The goal is to reach 2 million boys and girls.
We have completed 123 educational infrastructure works and advanced legal and budgetary actions to reactivate 228 work contracts. There will be a total of 541 projects meaning 12,690 new and improved classrooms. In addition, we are executing improvements to 669 rural schools. 51. More resources for senior citizens
53. 2.323.428 beneficiaries of Families in Action The Families in Action program has benefited 2,323,428 families (including 3,807,958 children and adolescents) with an investment of $ 3.6 billion, promoting their attendance and school continuity, as well as access to the health system and growth and development controls. 54. 330,605 beneficiaries of Youth in Action With the Youth in Action program, the Government of President Duque has benefited in these two years 330,605 young people, assuring their access and permanence in technical, technological and professional education, as well as the strengthening of the work capacities and competencies
57. Increased coverage of the nutrition program The age range for beneficiaries of the "1000 days to change the world" program was extended. Previously, attention was given to children under 2 years of age and extended to those under 5. 45,273 boys and girls at risk of malnutrition and low-weight pregnant women have been cared for. Attention to expectant mothers increased from 20,480 in 2018 to 33,100 in 2019. 58. More children benefit from the School Feeding Program More than 5,600,000 children benefited, in 2019, from the School Feeding Program (PAE), with an investment of $ 1.05 billion. This year we increased PAE resources by 50%, which allows us to serve more than 5.6 million boys and girls from public schools, who will receive food supplements throughout the school year. The Administrative Unit for School Feeding was created to strengthen financing schemes, expand coverage, promote transparency, and ensure quality and timeliness
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of the program. The goal by 2022 is to reach 7 million boys and girls with this program. 59. Energy transition is a reality Colombia made a historic leap in the incorporation of renewable energies. In 2022 the country will have 2,500 megawatts of installed capacity for the generation of solar and wind energy, 50 times more than the capacity installed in 2018. This New Energy will allow increasing the participation of non-conventional renewable energies in our electricity matrix, which will pass from less than 1% to 12% in 2022. Colombia is the Latin American country with the greatest progress towards the energy transition and rose 9 positions in the Energy Transition Index of the World Economic Forum 2020, going from 34 to 25. 60. Equity, the faces of New Energy So far this Government, 33,642 families have electricity in their homes for the first time, and of these, 18,915 are in the areas prioritized by the Development Programs with a Territorial Approach (PDET). The New Energy that comes from the sun has made it possible to promote equity in the regions. Today, 9,349 households in departments such as Arauca, Caquetá, Casanare, Córdoba and La Guajira have access to this service, thanks to the installation of solar panels in their territories. 61. Reactivation of the 4G routes Of the 29 Fourth Generation (4G) infrastructure projects contracted, 24 are in full execution, thanks to the boost of this Government. 13 of those projects already have a progress of more than 50%. These 13 projects injected the economy with $ 8.59 billion. Likewise, the Government made progress on large projects that were paused, thanks to which in February of this year the works of the La Línea Tunnel were completed and the Pumarejo Bridge was also put into service, improving mobility between Atlántico and Magdalena. The La Línea Tunnel will be put into service on the first week of September. 62. Pact of Leticia for the Amazon Promoted by Colombia, this pact - also signed by the Heads of State of Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname recognizes the importance of the Amazon as a strategic ecosystem
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and source of 20% of the planet’s fresh water, and contemplates 52 key actions for its protection. More than 34 million people, including indigenous and tribal peoples, live in this vast region. 63. Around 35 million trees have been planted From August 2018 to date, 34,769,570 trees have been planted throughout the country, thanks to the support of strategic actors such as regional autonomous corporations, the private sector, environmental organizations and academia. This figure is part of the proposed goal of planting 180 million native trees by 2022, to restore nearly 300,000 hectares. 64. Colombia signed the Escazú Agreement Colombia signed the Escazú Agreement in December 2019, as part of the Government’s commitments in the Great National Conversation. This agreement strengthens environmental democracy, the protection of environmental defenders and the promotion of sustainable development. It complements the Government’s efforts to promote education, access to information, and the active participation of citizens in environmental matters. 65. Deforestation decreased by 10% About 23,000 hectares of forest were no longer deforested in 2018, which represents a 10% reduction compared to 2017 (it went from 219,973 hectares deforested to 197,159). Compared with the estimated growth trend for 2018, the deforestation of 40,360 hectares was averted, representing a reduction of 17%. Deforestation decreased in four of the five regions of the country: Amazon, Andean, Caribbean and Pacific. 66. Colombia, host of the World Environment Day 2020 Colombia was the host country for the World Environment Day 2020, a virtual space that achieved more than one million visits to the website, almost double than the previous year. Social media posts reached more than 100 million people. Personalities such as Pope Francis, the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Monaco, the Minister of Norway, the President of Costa Rica and the President of the Climate Change COP 26 participated. 67. More Protected Areas Today the National System of
Protected Areas (SINAP) is made up of 1,342 protected areas that occupy an area of 31,407,280 hectares, equivalent to 15.17% of the national territory. Of this total, 18,590,099 hectares are terrestrial (16.28%) and 12,817,181 hectares are marine (13.80% of the marine surface). With this, we have achieved a 30% increase in the number of protected areas and 871,855 hectares incorporated into the conservation of the nation's biodiversity. 68. More housing subsidies With the “My House Now” program, the Ministry of Housing has assigned 66,568 down payment and interest rate subsidies for the purchase of lowincome housing throughout the country, with an investment of $ 2.1 billion. This corresponds to 64% of the total subsidies assigned in the history of the program since the end of 2015. Every day, 95 Colombian families fulfilled their dream of owning their own home thanks to the help of the National Government. 69. Approval of the ICT Law Progress was made in the institutional modernization of the ICT sector to adapt it to the new technological and market realities, including the creation of a new Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), as the sole and independent regulator. The Law created the Single Fund for ICT, with clear criteria for targeting investment in projects in benefit of the poor, vulnerable and remote population. Public television and sound broadcasting were strengthened by guaranteeing their annual resources and promoting multiplatform content. Likewise, an auction was held to assign the use of the radioelectric spectrum in the bands of 700, 1,900 and 2,500 MHz. The 'Action Plan for the Spectrum Auction' will be the fundamental basis to expand the country’s digital environment and contribute to reducing social and economic gaps, especially in the regions. 70. Progress in the sustainability of the health system A strategy was put in place to ensure the sustainability of the General Social Security System in Health (SGSSS) and to clean up historical debts. In this sense, the following actions were carried out: ● National Agreement,
Endpoint Contributory
Regime: the mechanism and rules for recognition and payment by the Resource Administrator of the General Social Security System in Health (ADRES) were defined and the schedule for 2020 was established. As of June 30, applications for $ 37,082 million have been filed and are already in the audit process. ● Territorial Endpoint Agreement, Subsidized Regime: Decree 2154 and Resolution 3315 of 2019 were issued to define the Nation’s co-financing rules. As of June 30, 2020, debt for $ 587,305 million has been settled, of which $ 332,750 million are due to the Government’s co-financing and $ 254,555 million to resources from the departments of Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Tolima, Atlántico, Nariño, Caquetá, Caldas and the District of Barranquilla. 71. Close attention to the management of health resources The price of 770 medicines was regulated, which led to an estimated saving by the health system of 340 billion pesos. In addition, 23 procedures were eliminated, 14 of which presented a particular risk of corruption; budgetary ceilings were set to eliminate recoveries in the system, and the databases of affiliates to the Subsidized Regime were cleaned up, identifying 80,465 people who were affiliated without the right to it. 72. Strenghtening of public hospitals The Immediate Action Program in Hospitals (Ai Hospital) has improved the quality of health services provided to more than 18 million beneficiaries of the Subsidized Regime. It was initially implemented in 8 prioritized territories (San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Maicao, Valledupar, Quibdó, Buenaventura, Tumaco, Leticia and Puerto Carreño) and then in the rest of the country. Through the support provided by the Ministry of Health, progress was made in the hospital management index, going from a global evaluation of 56.18% in 2018 to 86.17% in December 2019, which means 683 fewer public hospitals in risk. $ 348 billion have been invested to improve infrastructure, staffing, financial clean-up, and attention to migrants in the public network. 73. Telehealth and telemedicine A new regulatory framework for telehealth and telemedicine
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was developed, which establishes parameters in terms of categories, use of technological means, and quality and security of information. Additionally, it was defined that these modalities will be financed by the Capitation Payment Unit (UPC) and its main purpose will be to facilitate access, opportunity and resolution in the provision of said services. 74. Health contribution for pensioners Since January 1, 2020, the health contribution rate was reduced for pensioners earning between one and two minimum wages. For those who earn a minimum wage, it went from 12% to 8% for the first year, and to 4% for 2022; and for pensioners who earn up to two minimum wages, the contribution went from 12% to 10%. The impact in 2020 for a pensioner who receives an allowance equivalent to a minimum wage will be $ 35,112 each month, that is, more than $ 420,000 per year. This will double when the contribution of minimum wage allowances falls to 4%. At today’s prices, this would be approximately $ 70,000 per month, that is, $ 840,000 per year, which is almost an additional allowance for the most vulnerable pensioners. 75. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation was created The Government of President Duque recognizes Science, Technology and Innovation as a transformational factor for the country. For this reason, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation was created through Law 1951. The purpose of the creation of this Ministry is to “generate capacities, promote scientific and technological knowledge, contribute to the development and growth of the country and anticipate to future technological challenges, always seeking the well-being of Colombians and consolidating a more productive and competitive economy and a more equitable society”. 76. Creation of the Ministry of Sports and historic increase in its budget One of the proposals of President Iván Duque’s campaign was the creation of the Ministry of Sports, which materialized with Law 1967 of July 11, 2019, transforming COLDEPORTES into a Ministry, without increasing the fiscal cost. Additionally, there was a historical increase for sports, going from $ 500 billion in 2019,
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to $ 676 billion in 2020. 77. Pro Sports Fee and Scholarships for Taxes On July 29, President Duque sanctioned Law 2023 of 2020, which empowers departmental assemblies and district and municipal councils to create a fee of up to 2.5% for the promotion of sports and recreation, resources to be managed by the respective territorial entity. Likewise, article 190 of the National Development Plan, Scholarships for Taxes, allows that any person, natural or legal, can deduct from their income statement what they contribute for the training and maintenance of an athlete. 78. Royalties for culture Thanks to the departmental agendas of the Ministry of Culture, as of May 2020 royalty resources for $ 242.5 billion have been appropriated for 94 projects in the culture sector in 24 departments. 69% of the resources are destined to investments in cultural infrastructure; 19% to artistic processes, and the remaining 12% to endowments. 79. Follow-up to commitments with the regions As of July 8, 2020, of the 1,633 commitments acquired in the Building Country Workshops and other spaces, 1,125 (69%) have already been fulfilled, 465 (28%) are still in execution and 43 (3%) are suspended, due to that they are not viable or face difficulties that have prevented their realization. These commitments have required the investment of $ 6.4 trillion, of the more than 19 trillion that involve all the commitments assumed by the different entities. 80. We increased investment in the Caribbean
Policy in Latin America The National Circular Economy Strategy - the first in Latin America and the Caribbean - was designed and implemented in 19 departments, with the signing of 16 Regional Pacts, the installation and activation of seven Circular Economy Regional Groups and the management of 475,157 tons of dangerous and special waste, subject to post-consumer management. As a pioneer in Latin America, Colombia was chosen by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to chair the Regional Coalition of Circular Economy of Latin America and the Caribbean. 82. In progress, proposals made by the Mission of Experts The proposals made by the Mission of Experts are being implemented under the leadership of the Office of the Vice President. This Mission was a group of 46 national and international experts in different areas created to involve academics and researchers in defining the country’s roadmap for the coming years in terms of science and technology.
Key measures during the COVID-19 pandemic “I have no doubt that as we face this pandemic, we might understand that mother earth is speaking to us. And that is why the great message is not that we go back to being the way we were, but rather that we come out better as a society and understand that health protection is a fundamental right for everyone and that the articulation of all governments will make a difference”. Iván Duque Márquez
We put an end to the cycle of low investments in electrical infrastructure in the Caribbean region. With an investment of $ 2.7 billion, the execution of the works of the 'Plan 5 Caribe' is progressing to improve the reliability of the electric power system in this region. 21 works went into operation, in addition to 14 projects that are in execution. In 2020 there have been investments for $ 860,000 million destined to improve the quality of the service and protection of the electrical networks, that is, eight times the average investment in recent years.
Since the beginning of 2020, the entire world has faced one of the most difficult and complex moments in its history: the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Government, with the support and recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), has implemented measures on three key fronts: 1. Protect the health and life of Colombians; 2. Support the most vulnerable families, and 3. Protect the economy and employment. To guarantee its financing, the Nation’s General Budget has been added with $ 28.79 billion.
81. First Circular Economy
Protecting helath and life has been a priority
83. General measures The Government declared the Health Emergency, the Social and Economic Emergency and then the Mandatory Preventive Isolation and the respective mobility restrictions, to avoid contagion. 84. We ensure food supply and medical supplies The commercial capacities and hygiene measures of markets and supply centers were strengthened. Likewise, clothing companies were called to direct their work to the manufacture of biosafety elements such as masks, gloves and gaiters to allow hospitals to face the crisis. 85. Strengthening of healthcare services - An additional $ 6.8 billion were appropriated for the mitigation of the emergency and new measures that will strengthen healthcare, public health and the provision of medical services. - We started with 600 daily tests and today about 30,000 are being carried out a day. - Today the country has more than 98 laboratories to practice tests in 23 territorial entities. - Economic incentives to the healthcare personnel in charge of the emergency, with an investment of $ 450 billion. - Purchase of more than 5,700 mechanical ventilators that have been arriving in the country and are being distributed in the different regions to increase the capacity of intensive care units (ICU). (Data as of July 30, 2020). - Acquisition of more than 68 million items of personal protection to constitute a National Strategic Reserve. - Measures for the organization, reassignment and expansion of human talent in health to increase the availability of staff. - Support to the public network of hospitals, with the acquisition and distribution of personal protection elements for healthcare staff caring for COVID-19 patients, for a total of $ 6,000 million, distributed throughout the country. - Creation of CoronAPPColombia: at no cost, it allows users to report their health status and facilitates the work of traceability and georeferencing for health organizations. 86. Biosafety protocols to gradually reactive economic sectors
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Protocols were designed for the gradual reopening of productive sectors, starting in May, with priority in non-covid municipalities. This prioritization was based on the required biosecurity measures, based on their impact on GDP growth and job creation.
Help for the most vulnerable people 87. More resources for social programs - The Solidary Income Program was created to benefit 3 million households that do not receive any monetary transfer from the State. They receive $160,000 per month. Initially it was for 3 months and then the Government decided to extend it until June 2021, with the purpose of mitigating the derived impacts of the emergency. - Through additional resources transferred to the Emergency Mitigation Fund, FOME ($ 25.5 billion), protection actions for the most vulnerable population have been strengthened with additional transfers to Families in Action, Youth in Action and Senior Colombia programs. These programs are estimated to impact 4 million Colombian households. - The Social Prosperity Department has provided incentives for $ 1,999,835,213,860 to Families in Action, $ 543,894,944,000 for Youth in Action and 169,176,975,000 to families with VAT Refund. The third round of the program began on July 15, 2020. The VAT Refund was projected to be carried out in phases, but it was accelerated to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on one million vulnerable households. It returns $75,000 every two months. Next year it will expand its coverage to 2 million homes. 88. Food security and nutrition - 4,800,000 food baskets, pedagogical kits and booklets with guidelines and recommendations for parents and caregivers for the care of children. - More than 81,000 special baskets for boys and girls at risk of malnutrition and underweight pregnant mothers (with the "1000 days to change the world" program), in March and July. - More than 8,000 tons of Bienestarina® and other foods of high nutritional value as a food supplement. - School feeding at home: we reached with food supplies more than 5 million children and
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adolescents who study in public schools, with an investment of $ 75 billion. - The 'Colombia is with you: one million families' program has delivered 1,051,249 subsidies through supermarkets, department stores, money orders and the FIC Fund for collective investment between mayors and governors, benefiting nearly four million people from Afro and indigenous communities, social leaders, human rights defenders, LGBTI, members of the Community Action Boards and religious communities. 89. Helping does us good The First Lady, María Juliana Ruiz, launched the campaign 'Helping Does Us Good', through which she calls for solidarity from the private sector, natural persons and international cooperation organizations, to bring food to the most vulnerable families in the country affected by the pandemic. To date, it has delivered 900,000 food baskets in regions of the 32 departments. The goal is to reach one million baskets, thus benefiting more than three million Colombians. 90. ICETEX educational loans relief plan To date, there are 71,642 beneficiaries, prioritizing those in a vulnerable condition due to disability, gender, socioeconomic status, temporary or permanent decrease in their source of income or health problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 91. Relief in public services We postponed the payment of water, sewerage and garbagecollection bills for low-income households that cannot pay, offering financing for up to 36 months with 0% interest. For middle-income households and industrial and commercial premises, the payment was deferred for up to 24 months with an interest rate equivalent to inflation. It is estimated that up to 9,644,767 people can benefit from this measure. 92. Reconnection of water services Since March 18, the Government has set the goal of reconnecting to the aqueduct system, free of charge, 200,000 families who had the service suspended due to non-payment, in order to guarantee access to water during the emergency. This objective was widely exceeded:
303,123 households of more than one million Colombians have benefitted. 93. Direct subsidy for rural aqueducts For the first time in the history of the country, we created direct subsidies to rural and community aqueducts, guaranteeing operation and reducing the monthly cost for families. With this subsidy, more than 1,600 rural providers and community organizations could benefit until December 2020, serving around 2,026,936 inhabitants of rural areas of the country. 94. 200,000 subsidies for house purchase 200,000 subsidies were launched for the purchase of new housing. 100,000 of them will be for families with incomes of up to 4 minimum wages who want to buy social housing and the other 100,000 will be for houses whose value does not exceed 500 minimum wages, that is, $ 489 million.
Protecting the economy and employment 95. Payroll subsidies To protect formal employment, the Formal Employment Support Program (PAEF) was created, with a subsidy of 40% of the minimum wage for payroll payments. Through the PAEF $ 1.7 billion have been drawn and it has contributed to the payroll of 2.4 million Colombian employees.
for unemployment subsidies through Family Compensation Funds, increasing the subsidy coverage for people who meet the requirements established by law. There number of subsidies for the unemployed increase went from 91.000 to 150.000. 99. Credit lines to protect employment in the most affected companies - With the implementation of 19 preferential credit lines, with special conditions, 13 of them regional, resources for more than $ 1.07 billion have been disbursed to support more than 14,000 companies and entrepreneurs of all sizes and economic sectors, thus contributing to preserve employment. Credit support for entrepreneurs and independent workers: the National Guarantee Fund created the “Together for Colombia” Program, to support credit operations that allow MSMEs and independent workers to maintain and reinvent themselves in the midst of the difficulties they are going through due to the pandemic . In execution of the program, 135,095 credit operations worth $ 5.02 trillion have been guaranteed. 100. Economic Reactivation Plan for the Agricultural Sector Its purpose is to contribute to the economic reactivation of the agricultural sector by financing projects formulated and presented by the departmental Secretariats of Agriculture.
96. Credit guarantees
101. Commitment for Colombia
By strengthening the assets of the National Guarantee Fund for $ 3.25 trillion to address the emergency, the National Government supports the issuance of new credits, in order to keep credit relationships active and finance both micro, small and medium-sized companies.
The National Government already has a roadmap to move the country forward in the next two years, the post-pandemic period, which is focused on four major themes: job creation, clean growth, support for the poorest and most vulnerable and the countryside and Peace with Legality, to advance in a future with economic reactivation.
97. Support Program for the Payment of Bonuses, PAP The PAP will be a one-time government contribution for the payment of the legally-required bonuses to workers who earn between a minimum wage and a million pesos. Applications will be made during the month of July 2020. 98. Unemployment Protection Mechanism More resources were allocated
Likewise, it seeks, after managing the COVID-19 pandemic, to have a financially-strengthened health system, with the payment of accumulated debts and the payment of the capacity charge and with the bonuses for health workers who are on the front line of battling the virus. Likewise, to have a better laboratory capacity, double the capacity of intensive care units and have a national strategic reserve to face this type of situations.