The Medina administration seems to have resorted to electronic controls in its attempts to discourage political patronage in the foreign service. Diario Libre reports that belt-tightening is underway at the bloated foreign service using electronic controls. Payments are now being made through the Ministry of Hacienda and not in lump sums through the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Diario Libre reports that housing rental contracts are being required to justify expenditure. It mentions that some of the officials who received US$4,000 and US$6,000 a month would even go as far as to joke that they had their offices at the Banco de Reservas or the nearest ATM.
The government is continuing its process of harmonizing control systems under the Integrated System of Government Financial Administration (SIGEF).
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/03/26/i541881_contralora-pone-cintura-cancillera.html