Monday
Monday 28th October 2024.
October 27, 2024
Panama’s economic expectations will only be met if the public and private sectors work together to reduce the barriers that currently limit development. These barriers range from high rates of informality to unequal access to resources and opportunities, recalled the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) in its Sunday column La Cámara Opina .
In this space, the organization highlighted that public administration, especially the Executive and Legislative branches, has a unique opportunity to promote significant progress through inclusive policies that have a real impact on the lives of Panamanians.
The Cciap also stressed that “every public investment must be guided by transparency and accountability,” ensuring that the benefits reach those who need them most and strengthen an economy with solid foundations. With these principles aligned, the private sector will be able to assume a leading role in job creation.
Backed by clear and coherent government policy, businesses will be able to respond to the consumer recovery by investing in key sectors that promote formal and sustainable job creation. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular need favourable conditions to expand, innovate and ultimately contribute to an inclusive economy.
The Chamber also warned that this process must take place in an environment of calm, understanding and viability, since chaos, obstruction and public disorder are factors that hinder progress.
Finally, the Cciap emphasized that “the optimism that usually accompanies a new administration cannot be just a promise; it must be translated into a clear vision of the country and into verifiable actions by all authorities, especially those elected.”
In a decisive contest for the future of Democratic Change (CD), former deputy Yanibel Ábrego prevailed over former minister Roberto Henríquez in the internal elections to renew the party’s board of directors.
Ábrego’s victory reflects the majority support of the delegates who participated in the vote, marking the beginning of a new stage in the leadership of CD. Ábrego obtained 1,122 votes, while Henríquez obtained 731 votes.
Part of Ábrego’s strategy was to recruit former adversaries within the party, such as former deputy Rony Araúz and the former mayor of Penonomé, Paula González , among others. His team also includes Frank De Lima , former Minister of Economy and Finance during the government of Ricardo Martinelli, founder of CD.
Meanwhile, Henríquez’s strategy was based on the support of Martinelli, who from the Nicaraguan embassy – where he remains in asylum to avoid a sentence of more than 10 years in prison for the New Business case – asked for the vote for Henríquez, ignoring international norms that prohibit political activities for those seeking asylum.
At stake in this electoral process was not only the appointment of a new leader for the group, but also the election of the 14 members who will make up the board of directors.
After the results were announced, Henríquez congratulated Ábrego: “I wish him success in leading the party. I thank all those who supported me in this effort,” said the former minister.
It should be remembered that Martinelli lost control of the CD in the elections of January 21, 2018. Roux obtained 1,486 votes out of the 2,360 delegates who attended that election, while the former president of the Republic obtained 860 votes. Following this defeat, Martinelli founded the party Realizing Goals, a group that is in power today.
The CD elections were held at the Megapolis Convention Center, located on Balboa Avenue. At this ordinary convention, 22 tables with their respective ballot boxes were set up. Voting was by list and not position by position.
According to figures from the Electoral Court, CD has 268,497 members.
Today the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) will inaugurate the Roberto F. Chiari highway, built under the Expansion and Rehabilitation project of the Pan-American Highway, section Puente de las Américas-Arraiján, better known as the “eight-lane” highway.
According to the entity, the opening of the Roberto F. Chiari highway will begin with a route from the entrance to Howard/Cocolí (Interchange 1) to the access to Burunga and Centenario, returning through the Burunga police station, Loma Cová and the Colectora Sur, until reaching the Howard roundabout.
The MOP has asked users and residents heading towards Panama Pacifico to use the old highway as an alternate route on Monday, October 28, taking the new lanes that lead directly to 7 de Septiembre and Loma Cová. The old highway towards Panama Centro will be open.
The work is 99.2% complete, according to the latest report from the MOP. This project began in September 2017, seven years have passed since the order to proceed and there was a delay of four years, due to multiple social and economic factors.
The expansion to eight lanes of the Bridge of the Americas-Arraiján section was carried out by the Loma Cová Consortium , made up of the companies Acciona Construcción, SA and Constructora Meco, SA
The final cost of the project was $462,546,782.13 , and included the construction of 11 kilometers of road. However, the original cost of this work was $370.2 million.
It is important to remember that this project had construction deficiencies in one of its lanes, specifically in the Burunga interchange, because the width of the structure, which at that time was 3.07 meters, was not suitable for vehicle traffic. Therefore, it had to be repaired so that the lane complied with the measurement of 3.90 meters, as established by the regulations. The expansion of the Pan-American Highway from two to four lanes in each direction will allow for more efficient traffic flow, improve the quality of life of more than 2 million people and generate a positive impact on the economic and social development of the region.
The Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego , reported that by the end of 2024, a reduction of around 200 thousand people is expected in the flow of migrants entering the country through irregular routes from the border with Colombia.
Ábrego explained that this decrease has been achieved thanks to operations in Darién intensified by the National Migration Service and the National Border Service. He added that these actions include the implementation of more rigorous controls, such as the requirement of documentation for those who transit through humanitarian corridors. Previously, he recalled, many of these migrants did not have any registration.
The minister said that to date, approximately 900 people have been deported or expelled from the country, most of them individuals with criminal records identified through alerts from Interpol or the police forces of Ecuador and Colombia.
The statements by the head of Security were made last Friday, at the conclusion of a meeting with the governor of Herrera, Elías Corro Cano, mayors, members of the technical committee and representatives of civil society. During this meeting, Ábrego urged the participants – as well as officials, their families and the population of Herrera in general – to report criminal activities, in order to strengthen the “heat maps” that allow the authorities to take timely preventive measures.
Regarding the security situation in Herrera, Ábrego indicated that current statistics do not justify the implementation of a general curfew. However, he acknowledged that the governor and mayors can establish specific curfews for minors at night, considering their safety and transfer to schools.
In addition, Ábrego mentioned that donations are being arranged from a “friendly government” —whose name he cannot yet reveal— to renovate police stations in the provinces of Los Santos, Herrera and Coclé. He commented that in Penonomé, 98% of the police station is occupied by the prison, which limits the ability of officers to work in adequate conditions.
The minister also addressed the need to build a new model centre for prisoners from the provinces of Herrera, Los Santos and Coclé. He explained that many police stations are largely occupied by detainees, which prevents adequate resocialisation and preparation of inmates for their reintegration into society.
Ismael Valdemar Haywood, alias “Ito,” one of the most wanted persons for his alleged involvement in the crime of aggravated theft against the National Bank of Panama (BNP), was arrested.
Panamanian authorities announced this Sunday, October 27, that the capture took place in the 24 de Diciembre sector, after a chase.
The incident occurred when three people aboard a van ignored the stop signal given by police officers who were carrying out preventive actions in the area.
During the verification, it was confirmed that one of the occupants of the vehicle was alias “Ito”. During the operation, two firearms, ammunition and illicit substances were seized.
Today, the Drug Prosecutor’s Office will present “Ito” and two other people before the hearing for charges of possession of drugs and firearms. Later, “Ito” will be brought to a hearing for the robbery of the BNP.
Since April 2023, authorities had requested citizen collaboration to locate Ismael Valdemar Haywood, alias “Ito”.
The incident for which he is being sought occurred on August 15, 2022 at the BNP branch in Calidonia, where more than $600,000 was stolen.
The renovation of the presidential kitchen at the Palacio de las Garzas , in the city’s Old Town, cost $133,897.
This is revealed by a report from the Office of the President of the Republic. These public funds came from the Discretionary Fund authorized by President José Raúl Mulino .
In fact, the president had announced last week that he had used that amount to renovate that area that “looked like an inn.”
“It was really disgusting… Thank God they never took me to see it because I probably wouldn’t have eaten there,” he said.
The company chosen for the kitchen replacement work was Pancook, SA .
On its website, the company describes itself as a 100% Panamanian company, a leader in the sale and maintenance of high-quality industrial kitchen equipment, with highly qualified and certified technicians.
The president also authorized the purchase of uniforms for the kitchen and dining room for $23,308.
The president also disbursed $69 thousand for the restoration of certain areas of the Palacio de las Garzas.
For example, $41,516 was allocated for the restoration of the structure and furniture of the Presidential Palace.
Meanwhile, for the acquisition and replacement of furniture in the upper office he paid $11,160.
In the acquisition of articles for the upper office, he spent $3,210.
The restoration work on the Palacio de las Garzas, carried out by José Ángel Escartín, cost $7,811.
Meanwhile, the manufacture and installation of a visual covering for the windows of the upper office, carried out by Compañía de Tejidos, represented an expense of $1,846.26
The purchase of furniture for the upper office, at Smart Furniture Panama, SA, was for $3,486.06
Mulino had revealed that the building has serious maintenance and neglect problems.
“The Los Tamarindos living room and my office are full of termites,” Mulino said at the time.
“There are leaks that affect the beautiful frescoes that are there,” he added.