The Institute of Social Security and Services for Workers at the Service of the Powers of the State of Puebla (Issstep) is experiencing a deep financial crisis, according to its director, Luis Antonio Godina Herrera. 80% of the institute's budget is allocated to the payment of pensions, and there has been a significant backlog in this aspect for the past seven years. Since 2015, Issstep has required extraordinary contributions from the state government to continue functioning.
In this context, Governor Alejandro Armenta Mier has instructed the Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat to conduct a comprehensive audit of Issstep. This action is part of the commitments made to the teaching staff of Puebla during the governor's campaign. Armenta emphasized that the purpose of the audit is not to find blame, but to understand the structural causes of the crisis and find effective solutions.
The audit seeks to detect possible irregularities in the management of public resources and facilitate a restructuring of pension expenditures. The goal is to recover the operability of the Institute and guarantee the rights of the 2,500 beneficiaries expecting to receive their pensions. In 2023, the state government transferred 250 million pesos to Issstep to cover medical services, and this amount increased in 2024. However, the problem of medicine shortages persists.
According to the director of Issstep, only the remaining 20% of the total budget is allocated to medical services, operations, and the acquisition of medicines. In response to logistical difficulties, the institute is in a transition process with a new provider, which has been affected by deficiencies in logistical planning. In this regard, Godina Herrera pointed out: 'It is a logistical issue, but it must be resolved effectively.'
