Agency warns staffing shortfalls and attrition to private contractors hinder enforcement

At a Senate commission hearing on June 4, the head of the transport negociado said staffing constraints are a primary obstacle to effective enforcement.

Ingeniero Jaime Alafuente González reported that the agency currently has "cerca de cuarenta empleados" and has begun to receive resignations after outside companies — he named LUMA as an example of a new employer in the market — made offers that agency salaries cannot match. He said he received four resignation letters in one day and expects more as external offers arrive.

Alafuente said the agency lacks retention tools and that, in practice, the negotiado needs additional personnel to carry out fiscalizaciones with vehicles, equipment and police-style training for agents. In his testimony he stated the agency has requested "veinte agentes, dieciséis agentes y cuatro administrativos" (language in the record is ambiguous as to whether the total is 20 or 20+), and noted that training and operational costs are significant.

The negotiado also referenced internal budget lines, saying there is "cerca de doce millones de dólares" en la partida del Burt Park Figure and que "se los van en fee and dot, que son para retiro" alrededor de seis millones, without further breakdown in the hearing.

Senators and commission members urged stronger salary scales and argued that public-sector pay must be competitive to retain trained staff. Committee members requested a staffing and recruitment plan and asked the agency to specify how many inspectors and administrative personnel it would need, within the timeframe for the commission's follow-up.