Public officials in Fuerte Olimpo unable to access salaries due to ATM outage

Public officials in Fuerte Olimpo, Paraguay, are facing significant financial difficulties as they are unable to access their salaries due to a malfunctioning ATM. The sole ATM in the entire district, operated by Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF), has been out of service for a week, leaving numerous state employees without access to their funds at the end of the month. Teachers, police officers, healthcare personnel, judicial staff, and employees from various other state institutions are among those affected. Silvio Maidana, one of the affected officials, expressed frustration over the prolonged outage and the lack of action from both the BNF and the maintenance company, Yrendagüe. He highlighted the urgent need to access their salaries to meet financial obligations, such as paying debts to local businesses. Authorities at the Governorate have reportedly informed the bank and the maintenance company about the situation, but the service has yet to be restored. It is suspected that the ATM may be out of cash, as it was heavily used between June 23rd and subsequent days by pensioners, Tekoporã program beneficiaries, and active public employees who withdrew significant amounts. The machine requires reloading to resume operation. This ATM outage is particularly critical given the limited financial infrastructure in the Alto Paraguay department. Fuerte Olimpo, Carmelo Peralta, and Puerto Casado are the only locations in the region with ATMs, all belonging to the BNF. The lack of alternative banking services, cooperatives, or financial institutions in the area makes these ATMs vital for the local economy and residents' financial mobility.

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We have obligations to settle, like paying our debts in shops, and other commitments made previously, so we need to have our money.