With a majority of votes, Morena and its allies in the Chamber of Deputies approved the reform to the Public Works Law in general. The measure includes the elimination of Compranet and the creation of a new Digital Public Contracting Platform.
The bill was approved with 355 votes in favor, 98 against, and one abstention.
The proposal, driven by President Claudia Sheinbaum, also grants the future Secretariat of Anti-Corruption and Good Governance control over public contracting policy.
Possible risk of opacity in contracts
One of the most questioned points by the opposition is that the reform allows contracts without bidding between public entities. This applies as long as at least one has 49% technical and material capacity.
They warned that this provision could facilitate simulations and opaque practices under a legal framework.
Exceptions without budget
The bill also provides that, in "exceptional" cases, the Treasury can authorize works without budget sufficiency. For PAN, this opens the door for entities like Pemex, CFE, or Sedena to operate without effective controls.
PAN deputy Saúl Téllez recalled that, during AMLO's government, military works grew by more than 400%. Now, he said, their role as builders of the regime is formalized.
Sheinbaum and Morena justify the change
From the podium, Morena member Graciela Domínguez defended the initiative by arguing that Compranet never prevented corruption. She cited cases of PRI and PAN governments that, she said, used that system to enrich themselves.
"With Compranet or without it, they filled their pockets and emptied the coffers," Domínguez stated. She recalled scandals like the Estela de Luz and the phantom refinery in Hidalgo.
The real control is in who executes
Although the official discourse points to digitalization and transparency, the reform concentrates more power in bodies aligned with the Executive. The opposition warns that it could institutionalize opacity under the discourse of transformation.
