Phytosanitary: the government exposes an internal corruption network

While officially working on behalf of the state, some agents were illegally offering services that fall under the private sector.

According to the government’s findings, these agents involved in the control, inspection, or certification of agricultural products were engaging in commercial activities such as pest control, fumigation, or chemical weeding. However, these services are strictly reserved for companies duly authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture, in accordance with current regulations.

These abuses are classified by the executive as “forms of insidious corruption” seriously undermining ethical and administrative standards. In the face of this situation, firm instructions have been given to apply the sanctions provided for by the current regulations.

This case is part of a broader context of the moralization of public administration. Following the scandal related to the issuance of the Liberal Party’s receipt, the government seems determined to intensify controls in other risk sectors.

To make this fight more effective, the executive plans to strengthen secure whistleblower mechanisms, implement a policy to protect whistleblowers, and generalize ethics and integrity training throughout public administrations.