Monday
Monday 25th November 2024.
November 24, 2024
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) urged this Sunday that a practice of periodic accountability be adopted by the Social Security Fund (CSS) to make the institution more transparent in terms of the management of resources.
“Citizens must have access to clear information about the management of CSS funds and the results of administrative and financial decisions. Only through transparency will it be possible to recover and strengthen public confidence in this institution that directly impacts the lives of the majority of Panamanians,” the business association recommended in the text of La Cámara Opina.
They also insist on the need to review the provisions regarding the CSS Board of Directors and its members. “This is a key step to ensure that strategic decisions are made with professionalism and a vision for the future.”
They believe that one cannot depend on the individual quality of the people in the CSS management positions, and therefore recommend “implementing systems of checks and balances, ensuring that strategic decisions are made in a collegial, transparent manner and for the benefit of all Panamanians.”
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Juan Alberto Arias Strunz, stressed that the association represents 1,670 companies and more than 340,000 workers, and that they understand that a solid CSS system does not depend solely on financial resources, but also on well-governed institutions.
“Therefore, in our presentation to the National Assembly we will insist that this reform must include clear mechanisms to strengthen institutionality,” he added.
He pointed out that technology can be an ally to modernize and digitalize CSS.
“The institution is extremely behind in terms of technology, which directly affects the quality and efficiency of the services it provides. This is the time to bring the CSS into the 21st century, implementing systems that not only improve internal management, but also provide Panamanians with timely and accurate access to key information, such as the status of their joint accounts and the returns on their savings.”
The state payroll closed with 259,059 employees in September, registering a decrease of 1,771 workers compared to August of this year. Most of the reduction was registered in the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Public Security, the Maritime Authority of Panama, the Specialized University of the Americas and the Agricultural Marketing Institute.
This is the second time that the number of public employees has been cut since President José Raúl Mulino’s administration took office on July 1. During the first month of his administration, 3,471 jobs were cut, but in August the number of workers increased by 1,971.
Mulino began his administration with a payroll of 262,330 workers, after an increase of 24,082 officials during the five-year term presided by Laurentino Cortizo. The accelerated increase in the state payroll and its weight on state finances was one of the reasons that led the risk agency Fitch Ratings to withdraw Panama’s investment grade.
According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census, the size of the State’s payroll exceeds the total population of provinces such as Bocas del Toro, Los Santos, Herrera, and is very close to reaching that of Veraguas, which has 259,791 inhabitants.
Regarding salaries paid, the Comptroller General reported that 433 million dollars were disbursed in September, of which 405.8 million were allocated to cover the salaries of 236,821 permanent workers, and 27.2 million for temporary positions.
Despite the reduction of 1,771 workers in September, spending on salaries increased by 2.2 million dollars, due to increases made to permanent employees.
Only international cooperation and the adoption of innovative investigative techniques can help confront the growing power of organised crime organisations.
This was the conclusion reached by a group of prosecutors who participated in the Second International Anti-Corruption Congress that took place on Wednesday, November 20 and Thursday, November 21, 2024, and was organized by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and sponsored by the United States Embassy in Panama.
Argentine prosecutor Diego Luciani said that only integrity, good training of officials in charge of prosecuting crime and international cooperation can lead to good results in prosecuting criminal networks.
Luciani, who secured the conviction of former Argentine President Cristina Fernández, widow of Kirchner, said that “when justice fails, everything is lost,” since the administration of justice becomes the barrier that protects citizens from the abuses of criminality.
He also stressed that communication and data exchange between authorities in different countries can prevent the spread of crime.
Meanwhile, Peru’s anti-corruption prosecutor, José Domingo Pérez , said that prosecutors and judges today face multiple threats in the exercise of their investigative work.
He said that he has personally faced threats to his physical integrity, criminal charges and administrative investigations that sometimes came from state officials who sought to stop an investigation related to acts of corruption.
Pérez, who investigated the Lava Jato scandal in his country, reiterated the great risks and challenges that prosecutors face in the exercise of their duties in the face of the advance of organized crime.
In turn, Panamanian anti-corruption prosecutor Daud Hassan said that international cooperation and the use of specialized personnel to determine the movement and traceability of funds allegedly derived from illicit activities were tools of capital importance in the investigation of the Odebrecht case.
Hassan explained that the investigation into the Odebrecht case in Panama – whose trial is scheduled for January 20, 2025 – faced multiple obstacles, but that the international cooperation obtained from various countries around the world provided a large amount of information that clarified many aspects of the case.
In the investigation into Odebrecht’s bribe payments, the prosecution requested international assistance from Brazil, the United States, Switzerland, Andorra, Spain, Peru, Colombia and other jurisdictions in search of funds diverted through a network of companies and businesses.
Attorney General Javier Caraballo stressed that corruption is a crime that affects the entire population and that combating it involves a great deal of collaboration between institutions and organizations in society.
The First Court of Justice did not admit an appeal for constitutional guarantees filed by Mayté Pellegrini against the First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases that denied her an incident of nullity against the process for which she was sentenced to 80 months in prison for financial crimes against the liquidated brokerage firm Financial Pacific .
Through edict No. 24-326 posted on the court’s notice board, the parties are informed of the decision adopted by that judicial body, not to admit the appeal filed by Pellegrini’s defense against the decision taken by the first liquidator of criminal cases, Agueda Rentería.
The ruling was signed by judges Janeth Torres, Carlos Pizarro and Guimara Aparicio , who decided not to accept the appeal filed by lawyer Franklin Amaya, representing Pellegrini, since in their opinion the appeal sought for the Court to become a new judicial body that would review the actions of the First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases .
The ruling highlights the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Justice which establishes that what a judge does in matters of assessment, admission of evidence or interpretation of the law does not constitute a constitutional violation.
It also states that the admissibility requirements for examining the case on its merits have not been met in the appeal for protection.
On April 18, Judge Rentería sentenced Pellegrini and four other people to 80 months in prison. In Pellegrini’s case, it was for committing a financial crime against the FP brokerage firm.
The judge also ordered the seizure of several properties, apartments and bank accounts belonging to the defendants. According to the dispositive part of the decision made by Judge Rentería, these properties were acquired with funds belonging to the FP brokerage firm.
According to investigations, Mayte Pellegrini, who served as head of treasury at FP, used assets from that brokerage firm to create a series of businesses and buy several properties to benefit her family members.
The liquidated brokerage firm FP and its directors West Valdés and Iván Clare were involved in a series of judicial investigations related to money laundering, financial crimes and fraud.
“Up, up, up!” The echo of shouts, accompanied by the blare of horns, broke the silence from 4:30 am on Sunday, November 24. The residents of Bella Vista, especially those who live near Balboa Avenue, were forced to wake up early because of a soundtrack they did not choose.
The reason for the noise: a sports event in the middle of the avenue. Although the event was intended to promote a healthy lifestyle, complaints soon began to flood social media.
“Not even during carnival do we hear so much noise,” said those affected when consulted by La Prensa , who confirmed that this situation repeats itself almost every weekend.
Journalist and former first lady Lorena Castillo also joined the protests on social media X (formerly Twitter): “Since then, the scandal every Sunday has been unbearable.” Another user, identified as Adelmiro Rivera, said on X: “Sport should not bother anyone,” suggesting that these types of activities be moved to the Amador Causeway, a more suitable place for these events.
While some enthusiastically attended the event, others, forced to wake up with the noise, missed the silence that, although rare, is sometimes the greatest luxury in this bustling city.
The activity that took place this Sunday was the ‘XLVIII Panama International Marathon 2024’, an event that brings together runners in the 42K, 21K, 5K and relay categories. According to the official event program, the activities began at 4 am with welcome remarks from the organizers, ending at 12 noon.
Panamanian Geisha coffee continues to consolidate its prestige in the demanding global specialty coffee market. In a recent barista competition, Hiroki Ito from Japan chose a sample of this bean from Finca Janson , located in Volcán, Chiriquí, with which he obtained first place in the contest.
The competition was organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan. The best participants will have several months of practice and preparation to represent their country at the 2025 World Barista Championship, which will be held in Milan, Italy.
Geisha coffee samples from the Peterson family’s La Esmeralda farm in Palmira, Boquete, were also used by the second-place winner in this competition. The third-place winner used a blend of geisha coffee beans from the Longboard and Nuguo farms, both located in Renacimiento, Chiriquí.
For specialty coffee producers, this recognition is an incentive to continue to strive for excellence in their production, said producer Kale Janson.
“I am very pleased with this result, because producing specialty coffee requires a lot of sacrifice… All of us, as Janson brothers, maintain the passion and perseverance to produce the best coffee,” he added. It is worth noting that Janson family coffee has won several awards in barista competitions, such as the United Arab Emirates in 2024 and Brazil in the same year.