Bogotá City Council approves tax reforms and urban infrastructure updates

The Bogotá City Council has passed key components of Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán’s tax reform and urban development agenda. Following intense debates, the Council approved controversial measures including a new public lighting tax and updates to the Industry and Commerce Tax (ICA). The public lighting reform aims to modernize the city's network with LED technology and Internet of Things (IoT) systems, financed through a surcharge on the Unified Property Tax starting in 2027.

In related urban infrastructure news, the Council also approved a measure to regulate the removal of aerial cabling and the transition to underground service networks. Additionally, the Institute of Urban Development (IDU) released the station map for the Avenida 68 TransMilenio corridor, which features 21 stations and is currently at 87% execution.

However, the Bogotá Metro project faces scrutiny from the Comptroller General, which reported a 4.4% overall delay. While the general execution is at 82%, specific areas such as station construction and urban environment works show significant lags, with the latter exceeding 52% behind schedule. The administration maintains that the first line is still on track for operation in the first quarter of 2028.