JUPEMA warns of pension debt risks due to MEP budget cuts

The National Teachers' Pension and Retirement Board (JUPEMA) has warned that proposed budget cuts for the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) for 2027 could lead to a deficit of approximately ₡50,000 million. This reduction threatens the state's ability to cover employer and state pension contributions.

As of September 2026, the MEP reportedly owes ₡75,475 million in employer-employee contributions for the 2025 and 2026 periods, plus late interest. The 2027 budget proposal includes a decrease of ₡45,066 million compared to the 2026 budget, which JUPEMA claims will exacerbate the risk of accumulating new debt with the Collective Capitalization Regime (RCC).

The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) has expressed support for these warnings during testimony before the Treasury Affairs Commission. JUPEMA also noted that a December 2024 agreement between the Ministry of Finance, the MEP, and JUPEMA—which intended to allocate ₡9,000 million annually to settle previous debts—remains unfulfilled.