Noting that the default by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) puts national hydrocarbon production in the Campeche Sound at risk, business leaders from Campeche and Tabasco stated that more than 15,000 jobs have been lost due to this difficult financial situation as of June of this year.
At a press conference held in Ciudad del Carmen—attended by Encarnación Cajún Uc, president of the Carmen Business Coordinating Council (CCE); Gonzalo Hernández Pérez, president of the Campeche Energy Cluster and representative of the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex); and José Luis Gómez Góngora, general director of the Mexican Association of Valve and Related Manufacturers, A.C. of Tabasco—and Alejandro Yesi Frías, president of the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry of Tabasco, among other business leaders—affirmed that this is the first regional meeting of its kind to issue a statement urging Pemex to pay its suppliers.
The oil business leaders stated that they do not refuse to continue collaborating with Pemex to meet its established objectives and production goals; however, they demand the corresponding financing or payment.
“We are concerned about the reduction in ground and platform equipment, as the suppliers of this equipment cannot continue providing their services without payment for the work performed. This has caused a drop in production that prevents the goals set by the national oil company from being met.”
They explained that in the last two years, there has been a drastic drop in human capital, as companies cannot continue paying salaries; while others are on the verge of closing.
Accidents in the Campeche Sound
They indicated that Pemex’s lack of payment also increases the possibility of accidents on platforms in the Campeche Sound, since MSMEs are the ones who perform maintenance work at these facilities, but without payment for their progress, they are left holding the bag.
“As representatives of business leaders, we feel compelled to speak out and strongly call on Pemex to design a short-term payment strategy. It will be up to each company to determine what actions they can take to respond to this critical situation,” he added.
“Blacklist”
Business leaders from Campeche and Tabasco denied knowledge of a blacklist for bank loans or loans with Pemex, “but if there is no financial solvency, there is no credit solvency, since there are no resources to repay loans, which has weakened the creditworthiness of companies.”
They noted that during the presentation of the Strategic Plan for the Strengthening of Petróleos Mexicanos 2025-2035, favorable points were detailed, such as the implementation of the Banobras Investment Fund for Pemex, intended to fund investment projects and cover payments to suppliers and contractors; as well as the intention to reduce trade debt with suppliers and contractors to a maximum of two months by the end of this administration, with no invoices due beyond that period.
They also agree on the reduction of the supplier payment cycle to comply with international standards and the elimination of operational and financial bottlenecks, with transparent execution schedules.
“Our activities contribute to maintaining Pemex’s daily operations and ensuring that hydrocarbon production does not stop. Therefore, the country’s energy security cannot be sustained by supplier debts, which currently exceed 431 billion pesos.”
Source: jorgecastronoriega
