ANIF Turns 50: A Golden Milestone of Reflection and Vision for the Future

Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo said “we businessmen are committed to the country when there are clear rules.”

ANIF celebrated its 50 years of existence in the traditional General Assembly, with the presence of relevant figures who have marked not only the history of the entity, but also the history of the country during these five decades. For his part, President Gustavo Petro excused himself from attending at the last minute.

Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, in addition to receiving recognition for his permanent and unconditional support for ANIF’s work, outlined his vision for the country in his speech. He emphasized that the most important thing for Colombia’s development is respect between the public and private sectors, especially towards businessmen. “Businessmen are committed to the country when there are clear rules,” he said. And he took the opportunity to send a message about interest rates, ensuring that “they can be reduced at a better rate, without this implying our economic viability.”

The first panel was a retrospective space, which had the former presidents of ANIF, Ernesto Samper, Martha Lucía Ramírez, Santiago Montenegro and Sergio Clavijo as special guests, moderated by Andrés Mompotes, director of the newspaper El Tiempo.

The second panel opened the space to the businessmen’s vision of the country’s future. There was Elizabeth Rey, president of Citibank; María Lorena Gutiérrez, president of Grupo Aval; Miguel Cortés, president of the Bolívar Group; and Ricardo Jaramillo, president of Grupo Sura, moderated by Fernando Quijano, director of the newspaper La República.

The individual presentations were given by Roberto Steiner, co-director of the Banco de la República; César Ferrari, Financial Superintendent; and José Ignacio López, president of ANIF, closed the day, who left several key messages.

First, he pointed out the developments that Colombia has made in the last 50 years: the per capita income tripled; the population living in financial poverty was significantly reduced; women’s employment increased; health coverage went from less than 20% to more than 95%; and the provision in secondary education went from around 30% to almost 100%.

Businessman Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo was honored at ANIF’s 50 years.

However, he highlighted the major challenges that still lie ahead, drawing attention to two key points. The first, the energy transition. “The richest countries are the ones that have prepared the most for the energy transition. It’s something we know but we have to keep repeating it,” he said. “And those more prepared countries have more expensive fuel.” Second, devolution. “An effort is needed to decentralize the country, but with formulas that are financially viable,” he assured. And he ended by emphasizing that Colombia needs a minimum agreement, which focuses on the agenda of a country that survives the next elections. Only in this way can we have a more promising development for the years to come.

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