News
Thursday 17th October 2024.
October 16, 2024
Amid a panorama marked by investigations into alleged cases of nepotism and conflict of interest, the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) has been the subject of a new budget recommendation by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF): it will receive 53.7% less budget compared to 2024.
By 2025, the university will have a budget of $50 million, which has generated diverse reactions both in the academic field and in public opinion, since in 2024 it received $108 million.
This figure represents a significant adjustment in the institution’s finances, which will have to face the challenge of managing its resources in a context of increasing scrutiny of its administrative management.
As you may recall, Unachi experienced sustained growth in its budget during the 2020-2024 five-year period. In 2020, the institution had a budget of $88.5 million , of which $80 million were allocated to its operation and $8.5 million to investments.
The following year, in 2021, the approved budget was $85 million, with $82 million allocated to operating expenses and only $3 million to investment, showing a slight decrease in the latter item.
The most significant increase occurred in 2022, when the budget reached $92.6 million, with $86.9 million allocated to operations and $5.7 million to investment. In 2023, the budget allocation continued to rise, reaching $99.4 million, of which $94.7 million was allocated to the operation of the university and $4.7 million to investment projects.
In 2024, Unachi received a record budget of $108 million, with $103 million dedicated to operations and $4.7 million to investments, thus consolidating a five-year period of constant financial growth, although with a marked preference for operating expenses over investment in development.
Now, by 2025, the controversial higher education institution will receive $50 million, which represents 53.7% less than in 2024.
Although the rector, Etelvina Medianero de Bonagas, had done very well in each of her appearances before the Assembly’s Budget Committee, this was not the case in her last presentation.
During the session, on August 14, he requested approval of transfers of funds totaling $860,206, intended to pay bonuses and seniority premiums for administrative and teaching staff, but his request was denied.
In addition, entities such as the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai) and the National Assembly have initiated investigations against this university for cases of nepotism and conflict of interest.
The director of the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) , Rutilio Villarreal, announced today, October 16, in a press conference, the results of a diagnosis of the entity, revealing a total debt of $497 million in accounts payable.
During his speech, Villarreal explained that $316 million of this debt is duly recorded in the accounting books, but $181 million lack contracts or documents to support it. These findings will be presented to the Comptroller General of the Republic so that it can conduct the corresponding investigations and determine whether the $181 million debt has grounds to be paid.
Regarding the distribution of water by tanker trucks , Villarreal reported that since 2013 there has been an accumulated debt of $51.8 million . Of this amount, $32.8 million correspond to contracts that were not endorsed, while $18.9 million have commitment notes granted to contractors by the previous administration.
Regarding investment projects , the director of Idaan indicated that there are $1,427 million allocated, of which 46% is in execution , while $777 million are yet to be executed. In addition, he mentioned that some of these projects have been in effect for up to 5 years without being completed.
Regarding the provision of drinking water to the communities that need it most, Villarreal highlighted that a plan has been started to drill wells in the provinces of Herrera, Los Santos and Panama Oeste , managing to drill 14 wells in the latter. In addition, he mentioned that the details are being finalized to implement the Northern Hydraulic Ring project , which will benefit communities such as Las Cumbres, Chilibre, Alcalde Díaz , among others.
Among the challenges facing the entity is the construction of 1,700 kilometers of drinking water pipelines and the gradual elimination of the service of tanker trucks to ensure a more efficient distribution.
This Wednesday, October 16, a key session was held at the working groups for the reform of the Social Security Fund (CSS) , where the questioning of the CSS financial system and its unification with the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the CSS stood out.
Francisco Bustamante, an advisor to the CSS’s top office, said that the public accountants’ association questioned whether the CSS’s financial statements were reliable, since according to them, they have several deficiencies from a technical point of view.
They also suggested that accounting bases should be defined and there should be confidence in internal control in information systems.
They said that the Comptroller General of the Republic should form a working team to clean up the CSS accounts and identify those that are in the most critical situation in order to resolve the situation of each one of them.
For its part, the National Association of Nurses of Panama (Anep) together with the Medical Association and Professional Workers of the Social Security Fund (Amoacss), concluded that they do not agree with the unification of the Minsa and the CSS, according to Rogelio Gordón, deputy director of the CSS.
However, Amoacss suggests that an advisory committee made up of specialized medical associations be created so that such unification can be done more effectively.
For their part, both the National Council of Organized Workers (Conato) and Anep stated that the factor that has most affected everything from the purchase of medicines to the provision of health services is poor administrative management and planning.
In turn, the National Medical Negotiating Commission (Conmenenal) insisted that the health system must maintain a balance between preventive care and curative care. In addition, the association considers it necessary to recover the existing infrastructure and intervene in those that require it, in order to provide better health services.
On the other hand, the Medical Association of Panama presented the criteria that, in its opinion, should be used to evaluate the proposals. These include:
- Whatever is proposed must improve health coverage.
- No citizen should be left without medical care
- The health system must be sustainable
- The cost of the health system must be reasonable
- The results of any measures implemented must be measured.
Although it had been announced that the discussions between the Disability, Old Age and Death (IVM) program and the health services would not take place until this week, Bustamante stated that on Monday, October 21, the analysis of the synthesis of the proposals that have already been presented will be completed and the points of convergence of each of the suggestions will be identified.
A shipment of 261 kilos of drugs was seized by the National Police in the area of Coco del Mar, San Francisco district, which was being transported in a vehicle occupied by one person.
The arrest of the car with the drugs occurred after a police chase that extended through several streets in the area, after the driver tried to evade the police units that ordered him to stop.
During the chase, the driver collided with several vehicles belonging to local residents who were going about their daily activities, putting the physical integrity of several people at risk.
Sources linked to the investigations stated that the drugs could have been taken to the coasts of the Coco del Mar sector in a small boat and unloaded during the night of last night or early this morning.
Drug prosecutor Abel Quintero said it was established that the drugs were hidden in a series of bags and were possibly destined for a foreign country.
Yesterday, police seized a shipment of 410 kilos of cocaine that was hidden inside a container that arrived from the United States and was destined for the Czech Republic.
The scene looks like something out of a movie: a white car drives down 50th Street, in the heart of the capital. A shot is heard and, immediately, the body of a man falls on the asphalt, a few meters from the Soho Mall shopping center. The incident occurred last Wednesday, October 9 at 8:50 p.m.
What happened? Little by little, the security authorities have put together this puzzle that is made up of important pieces of the criminal world.
The murdered man was named Sebastián Ortiz , a 29-year-old Colombian. His murder is linked to international organized crime: the feared Tren de Aragua , a Venezuelan criminal gang.
This was confirmed by the President of the Republic himself, José Raúl Mulino, in the interview he gave to Telemetro on the occasion of his 100 days in government.
“This is the first time that a gruesome spectacle like this has happened in Panama, where they dump a dead body in the middle of 50th Street. The report that I received today from police intelligence is that, in fact, he was linked to this cartel (Tren de Aragua), but he also worked with the other one, which is Colombian: the Clan del Golfo,” said the president.
“This country is full of drugs, I am not going to hide from saying it,” said Mulino to give an idea of the magnitude of the problem. According to the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, around 94 tons of drugs have been seized so far this year.
In this way, it was confirmed that the Tren de Aragua, the criminal gang that has tentacles in at least a dozen countries, also has a presence on the streets of Panama. Other pieces of this puzzle were provided by the director of the National Police, Jaime Fernández , who also mentioned the Clan del Golfo, a Colombian criminal organization.
Citing the gruesome crime on Calle 50, he said that everything points to the big drug groups. “The groups have been identified: the Tren de Aragua and the Clan del Golfo,” he added, also arguing that these groups work with local gangs. “It is a very complicated cycle to manage, very delicate. They are people who have a very aggressive dynamic,” he explained.
In Panama, according to the director of the National Police, there are 180 gangs , associations that are in charge of moving drugs. These gangs, according to the head of the police, operate with new dynamics.
“Now they pay with drugs.” He said that paying with drugs creates a second business: cutting the drugs to improve micro-trafficking. “Places like Colón and San Miguelito are important points for these movements,” he warned.
This dynamic generates a wave of crime on the streets of the country. In fact, authorities point out that 90% of the crimes committed are directly related to drug trafficking.
According to figures from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, 50 homicides were committed between January and September 2024, nine fewer than in August, when 59 were reported. So far, the month with the highest number of crimes has been June, with 64.
The National Energy Secretariat announced on Wednesday the fuel prices that will go into effect this Friday, October 18, reflecting an increase.
According to the price table, 95 octane gasoline will increase by three cents and the liter will be sold at $0.92 ($3.50 per gallon), while 91 octane gasoline will increase by four cents, leaving the price per liter at $0.89 ($3.36 per gallon).
For low-sulfur diesel, the increase is also four cents and the liter will be sold at $0.83 ($3.14 per gallon).
These prices will be effective from October 18, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. until November 1, 2024 at 5:59 a.m.