The Chilean government of José Antonio Kast revealed the first results of the so-called “total audit” regarding the administration of former president Gabriel Boric and claimed to have detected a fiscal risk exceeding USD 9.2 billion, amid growing criticism of the economic and budgetary management of the previous leftist administration.
The review was conducted by the General Internal Audit Council of Government (CAIGG) and included the analysis of more than 913 million data points from around 500 public agencies corresponding to the period 2022-2026. As explained by the Undersecretary General of the Presidency, Constanza Castillo, the investigation found “errors, inconsistencies, mismanagement, structural control weaknesses, inefficiencies, and irregularities.”
One of the most concerning points detected by the audit was the existence of USD 3.2 billion in postponed payments by the State, equivalent to about 1% of Chile's GDP. Among these amounts are debts with nearly 10,000 small and medium-sized supplier companies, as well as resources committed to universities, social programs, and the healthcare system.
The report also detected more than USD 3.17 billion in purchases made through “direct deal” mechanisms and agile purchases, even in situations where normal public tenders could have been conducted. This would have generated price overruns close to USD 760 million for the Chilean State.
