News
Thursday 26th September 2024.
September 25, 2024
President José Raúl Mulino gave his first speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), emphasizing the irregular migration that affects the province of Darién, in Panama, and the political crisis that Venezuela is going through.
Mulino began his speech by recalling Panama’s historic role as a point of convergence between the Americas, referring to the first railroad that connected the Atlantic and the Pacific.
However, the tone of the speech changed when Mulino addressed illegal immigration. He stressed that the country’s strategic location has turned the Darien jungle into a dangerous transit route for thousands of migrants seeking to reach the United States, driven by economic and political crises in their countries of origin.
“Panama is the new border of the United States,” said the president, describing the inhumane conditions faced by migrants, especially women and children, as they cross the dense Darien jungle.
“In 2023, more than half a million illegal immigrants crossed the jungle, representing 12% of Panama’s total population,” Mulino revealed.
Regarding the political crisis in Venezuela, he said that the growing deterioration of its institutional system has caused the exodus of nearly 8 million Venezuelans, making it one of the biggest migration tragedies in the region.
Mulino criticized the lack of international action in the face of this crisis, stressing that political instability in Venezuela has been a determining factor in the mass migration that Panama and other countries in the region are facing.
“It is impossible to talk about sustainable development in our region when there is blood spilled by migrants who risk their lives crossing our jungle in search of freedom,” said the president, pointing out the lack of global support to confront immigration and urging the UN to include this issue on its priority agenda.
In the final part of his speech, Mulino criticized the “discriminatory lists” in which Panama has been included.
Mulino said that although Panama has implemented reforms to its financial and legal system to meet international standards, the country continues to be unfairly singled out for inclusion on discriminatory lists .
Likewise, he reaffirmed that he will not allow countries that maintain this negative rating towards Panama to carry out tenders in the country, nor will they have his vote in international organizations.
Mulino stressed that Panama, being one of the few carbon negative countries, does not deserve this stigma and demanded that the country’s efforts be recognized.
The health committee that is dealing with the crisis at the Social Security Fund (CSS) addressed two key issues on Wednesday, September 25: the role of the institution’s board of directors and the deficiencies in the process of purchasing medicines and medical supplies.
Rogelio Gordón, the designated deputy director of the CSS, presented a report in which he highlighted that one of the central issues was the need to comply with the timeframes stipulated by law for the procurement of medicines and supplies.
On this subject, the outgoing director of the CSS, Enrique Lau, stated that there was 88% of medicines in the entity; however, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , recently revealed that in entities such as the Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex there are only 60% of the drugs that patients demand.
In light of this scenario, the discussion table emphasized the creation of a task force that will review the methodology for purchasing planning, especially with regard to inventory management.
Participants also highlighted the importance of defining purchasing procedures, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and modernizing current regulations. To achieve this, they proposed improving computer systems and strengthening coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Comptroller General of the Republic.
It was also agreed to verify that the Social Security complies with good practices in the purchase of medical supplies. In this regard, Gordón said that the need to guarantee transparency and efficiency in the acquisition processes was discussed.
Another relevant topic of the health roundtable was the analysis of the powers of the CSS board of directors, in particular those arising from Law 51 of 2005. It was concluded that the periods of appointment of members should be limited and it was proposed to prohibit the re-election of its members.
During the meeting, it was suggested that mechanisms be included in the law that would allow organizations to request the resignation of board members that they have proposed. In addition, it was stressed that union appointments should be kept “away from politics” to ensure their impartiality.
According to the CSS deputy director, the attendees also proposed that criminal and administrative responsibilities be defined for the board of directors in cases of omission or erroneous decisions.
An important part of the discussion revolved around defining a clear and concrete profile for the board members, in terms of skills and experience. In addition, a request was made to include a patient representative on the board of directors, in order to ensure that decisions take into account the interests of users. This point was widely agreed upon by those present.
On the other hand, the future director of the CSS, Dino Mon, chaired the meeting of the board of the Disability, Old Age and Death (IVM) program. Various unions and associations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the Medical College of Panama, presented proposals to improve the pension system.
Currently, the country faces a bankrupt program (the defined-benefit program), with real actuarial debts of between $65 billion and $75 billion, which is what must be paid to current and future pensioners who are part of the exclusively defined-benefit subsystem, according to the latest figures shared by the CSS Technical Actuarial Board.
The situation is aggravated by the late delivery of financial reports and the precarious situation of legal funds or reserves to cover the shortfall as the years go by.
Among the questions raised was how the sustainability of pensions would be guaranteed under the individual account model. Meza explained that this would be complemented by life annuity insurance, ensuring that accumulated savings provide long-term income.
Finally, the Medical College and the National Medical Association called for separating health issues from IVM matters. They insisted that social security should be universal and proposed changes in the roles of the CSS board of directors to ensure effective accountability and improve management.
From March 25 to 27, 2025, Panama will be the scene of five international trade exhibitions , confirmed the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) on Wednesday, September 25 .
The business association reported that these five events will be held simultaneously at the Panama Convention Center in Amador, where innovations, trends and business opportunities will be presented.
These events aim to encourage and stimulate various economic sectors and business activity in the country and the region.
The activities to be held are Expocomer, Expo Logística Panamá, Expo Turismo Internacional, Expo Eléctrica Internacional–Panama and Expo Tech.
“Since 2022, the synergy of developing events in parallel has shown that Panama is prepared to organize large-scale events. For 2025, we decided to expand the trade fair offering, which stimulates different sectors such as commerce, tourism, logistics, as well as the electrical and technological market,” said Aurelio Barría Pino, vice president of the Cciap, in a statement from the business association.
He stressed that the business sector must innovate and support the country’s economic growth and investments.
“Through these five fairs, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama seeks to position the country as an ideal destination for meetings, congresses, exhibitions and large-scale international events,” he said.
Manuel José Paredes, president of Exhibitions and Events of the Cciap, highlighted that the Panama Convention Center will have a capacity of 900 exhibition modules.
“The commercial spillover that occurs around these exhibitions contributes directly and indirectly to the economy, especially in sectors such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, among others, and in the 2024 edition, this amount reached $45 million,” Paredes said.
This week, the vacancy pool available on the Panama Jobs portal has registered new positions: four in the province of Panama and one in Panama West.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel), a security systems technician is required. It is specified that this position is responsible for the installation, maintenance and management of systems designed to protect people and assets. The candidate must have knowledge of burglar alarms, CCTV, access and fire, and have a type D license.
Another available position is for Project Planning and Control Engineer. The candidate must develop and maintain detailed project schedules, strategically coordinate with departments, and compare planned and actual quantities. Experience with megaprojects, knowledge of Primavera P6, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and knowledge of advanced English are required.
A quality engineer is also required. He/she must have experience in quality control in construction projects and have a degree in civil engineering, with experience in quality control, generating reports and managing the department.
There is a vacancy for an ISO 27001 specialist with the responsibility of executing projects and activities focused on customer service. In addition, the specialist must have knowledge in cybersecurity, information systems management, IT or related fields, and advanced English.
Other available positions include: recruitment coordinator, sales consultant, private transport driver, optometrist, project engineer, warehouse assistant, and general assistant.
For Panama West, a driver is required, who must attend to transportation assignments, verify and maintain the vehicle in perfect condition, as well as be in charge of loading and unloading supplies. Must have a type D license, both valid health cards and a good traffic record.
Also a logistics intern, certified public accountant and a billing officer.
Please note that applicants for these job vacancies must visit www.empleospanama.gob.pa and access the activity they wish to apply for.
Odila Castillo, la millonaria sonrisa del éxito de una exfuncionaria