The Chamber of Deputies and the Superior Audit of the Federation (ASF) have agreed to reduce the 'golden bureaucracy' of this top federal oversight body, a 10% cut in salaries for mid-level and senior management, and a possible modification to the internal organization chart to consolidate two of the five main general directorates.
For 2026, the ASF has a budget of two billion 822 million pesos; the head auditor receives a net monthly salary of 151,869 pesos; special auditors 135,246 pesos; heads of unit 127,381 pesos, and general directors, coordinators and the technical secretary of the auditor 117,556 pesos.
According to the minutes of a private meeting of legislators from the ASF Oversight Committee with the team of the new auditor, Aureliano Hernández Palacios Cardel, the creation of a new General Secretariat and the strengthening of the technical and operational teams of the auditors was proposed.
According to the agreements reached at the ASF's own headquarters – to which El Financiero had access – the central objective is to optimize the work so that sanctions 'are not just for show', the resources observed in the audits are recovered, and there are complaints and criminal penalties.
The plan to be operated by the new head auditor, within a 100-day period, includes an evaluation and an internal re-engineering that provides for the creation of six specialized audits and a possible consolidation of the five units that appear in the current organizational chart.
It was also anticipated that there could be changes in areas and personnel of the Special Performance Audit, the Technical Unit, the Administration Unit, the Legal Directorate and the Legislative Liaison Unit.
With the funds generated from the salary cut – legislators indicated – it will be sought to achieve an equalization and avoid that 'there are first and second class officials'.
The project also includes a comprehensive administrative restructuring and a substantial reduction in operational costs, which proposes the realignment of the ASF to the principles of budgetary efficiency.
Likewise, agreements will be signed with the local audit offices to establish mutual oversight to eradicate omissions or bad practices in the federal entities, with priority being given to the auditing of small municipalities.
