Costa Rica - June 2024

President Rodrigo Chaves presented an initiative to reform legislation governing the Office of the Comptroller General. According to Chaves, the changes to the relevant provisions, presented as part of the wider initiative Bill 24.364, also known as the “Jaguar Law”, would streamline processes and promote efficiency. According to critics and the Comptroller General, such amendments will result in the weakening of the Comptroller’s oversight and enforcement capabilities. The Comptroller General has stressed that changes to its functions for oversight over public funds would enable the government to enter into contracts without public tenders, preventing it from assessing the legality of contracting processes before their execution.

Chaves presented the initiative in Congress, asking the legislature to call a referendum. 

Sources: Latinamericanpost, El Pais, La Nación, El Observador (1), Deutsche Welle, El Observador (2)