Contraloría Questions Foreign Minister Use of Cell Phone and Travel Expenses
For those who complain about high cellular telephone bills, the Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller's office) is questioning the ¢923.625 coones (us$1.850) cellular phone bill of Costa Rica's Foreign Minister, Roberto Tovar.

It appears that the minister ran up the bill in only three months, an average of us$616. dollars per month, that in addition to the regular telephone lines.

The Contraloría is also questioning travel expenses submitted by Tovar and approved by president
Pacheco.

Tovar defended his position by saying that he is the perhaps the only Foreign Minister in the world who spends less in international phone calls. " I believe I hold the world record on that", said Tovar.

The main complaint by the Contraloría is that three cellular phones used by the Foreign Ministry were not obtained with a clear process of who gets to use the cellular phone and no limits on the use.

Officials at the Contraloría added that the use of a cellular phone paid by the state should not be considered as a personal benefit and used only for official government business, thus the process is clear that each cellular phone should be assigned to a specific person and function and have limits on its use.

Minister Tovar added that the average monthly cell phone bill used by him is between ¢60.000 and ¢130.000 colones (us$120 and us$260). "Anyone who thinks that that is excessive is thinking unhealthy", said Tovar.

The Contraloría is also questioning an number of trips abroad that have not been detailed properly. The Contraloría is not questioning the nature of the trip nor that of any wrongdoing, simply that the Foreign Ministry is not reporting the travel in the proper manner, like the trip to the Exposición Mundial de Asociaciones de Japón in 2004. Though the travel expense was published in the official government newspaper, La Gaceta, the fact that it only contains the signature of the Minister for approval is a violation of the Political Constitution.

In closing, the Contraloría issued a number of guidelines for the minister to follow, including establishing rules on who is and limit the use of cellular phones paid by the government; complete an internal investigation into the travel expenses and to provide corrective measures for any misuse; and, to instruct employees of the Ministry on how to comply with the requirements regarding travel abroad.

The Minister has until the end of March to provide the Contraloría with the results.