Ministry of Communications and Transportation to Change Its Name

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador aims to change the name of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT), to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, a measure that intends to align it with Mexico’s National Development plan for 2019-2024.

El Economista reports that the president aims to change the acronym, which was created in 1959, and align it with the government’s plan to “promote economic recovery, the domestic market and employment.” The name change is led by Jorge Arganis, and states that several measures regarding austerity and a renowned mission are the main reasons. The decree includes further adjustments needed to comply with austerity measures aimed at public administration, as well as confronting the crisis of the pandemic and the economic decline.

As part of the measures, one of the three undersecretariats has been scrapped: communications. Its tasks are now assigned to the Undersecretariat of Transportation, led by Carlos Morán. The Undersecretary of Infrastructure remains operational, led by Cedric Escalante. The remaining undersecretaries warrant the name change, an official document highlighted.

SCT has already allocated 79 percent of the resources to the 2021 National Highway Conservation Program, reports Expansión. It did so via 728 tenders, out of a total of 960. The procedures were carried out through the Special Investment Authorization (Secas), granted by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) so that they can issue, award and formalize commitments, charged to the budget of the following fiscal year.

Furthermore, Milenio reported that SCT approved the institutional program of the Mexican Space Agency, called the National Program for Space Activities 2020-2024.The program intends to identify the scope of activities and promote the development of space-based infrastructure for telecommunications, navigation and global positioning, as well as other applications for Mexico. In an agreement published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, the agency reported it will promote a program for digital transformation and observation, aimed to support inclusion, social and economic development.