Like the federal scientific agency Conacyt, a development bank owned by the Mexican government is enjoying expensive gourmet meals, as well as overpaying for some products, despite the government’s austerity measures.

According to the copy of a contract obtained by El Universal, Nacional Financiera, or Nafin, paid 2.79 million pesos (US $143,000) for catering services for its employees.

Five companies bid on the contract, which was awarded to Pigudi Gastronómico. It also provides catering to Conacyt.

The products Nafin acquired through Pigudi include smoked salmon at 1,496 pesos (US $76) per kilogram and serrano ham at 590 pesos US $30) per kilo. Pigudi also supplied the development bank with 350 six packs of domestic beer, all sold at a considerable markup over consumer prices.

Other delicacies included 14 kinds of cheese, “top-quality” low-gluten quinoa, prawns, chistora sausage and fresh Chilean salmon, washed down with Perrier mineral water (or beer).

The most expensive were six packs of Sol, for which Nafin paid 140.63 pesos each, 38% more than the beer costs in grocery stores.

So far in 2019, Pigudi has been awarded contracts to provide catering for three other government agencies in addition to Nafin and Conacyt: the National Free Textbook Commission, the Doctor Manuel Gea González General Hospital and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Conacyt contract, obtained by El Universal last month, it pays 15.7 million pesos a month to Pigudi for a catering service that includes a chef and nutritionist.

The agency’s director said in response that the meals were a labor right, not a luxury.

Source: El Universal (sp)