News
Wednesday 18th December 2024.
December 17, 2024
Hundreds of Panamanian students studying abroad have expressed their concern about delays in the disbursement of their scholarships by the Institute for the Training and Utilization of Human Resources (Ifarhu) .
According to those affected, this situation hinders their ability to cover essential expenses, such as accommodation, food and academic materials.
Ifarhu has acknowledged the delays and attributes the problem to budget adjustments and ongoing administrative procedures. However, it has assured that they are working to expedite payments and ensure that students receive the outstanding funds in the coming days.
Jaime Díaz, the person in charge of directing Ifarhu, did not see 2025 in the institution.
After Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that changes would be coming to that institution, Díaz formalized on Monday, December 16, his resignation as general director of Ifarhu, which is in the eye of the storm after distributing, between 2014 and 2024, $380,833,655.91 in non-reimbursable economic aid and other programs, many of them assigned based on political criteria. On Tuesday, December 17, it was announced that Gabriel Cajiga Saldaña was appointed as the new director of the Institute for the Training and Utilization of Human Resources (Ifarhu).
The current administration of the state-owned Electric Transmission Company, SA (Etesa) contacted its workers to cancel the Christmas party , but the union prevented it, claiming that such action would represent an “attack” on their labor “rights.”
The party finally took place last Friday, December 13, and cost at least $52,875.01, not including the fees charged by tipiquero Alejandro Torres for the live concert he offered to get the attendees dancing.
Nine days before the celebration, the Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac , informed the heads of the different State entities that “parties, entertainment, gatherings and other activities on the occasion of Christmas” financed with public funds were prohibited .
Orillac, coincidentally, is also the chairman of the board of directors of Etesa .
When the Union of Electrical and Similar Industry Workers of the Republic of Panama (Sitiespa) read the Orillac circular, it responded that it was not applicable to Etesa, since the company (whose shares are 100% owned by the Panamanian State) “is not subject to the budgetary framework of the Central Government.” In addition, it added that the budget prepared for 2024 already included the allocation for the Christmas party and that it was better not to insist on its cancellation, “in order to preserve labor peace.”
The 2020 collective agreement, agreed upon by the then manager of Etesa, Carlos Mosquera , and the leadership of Sitiespa, contemplates in its clause 67 that the company is obliged to cover the expenses of four major holidays: “High Voltage Electrician and Lineman Day” (the last Friday in October), Mother’s Day, Christmas and “CND Day” (acronym for the National Dispatch Center), which is commemorated in May.
The Mother’s Day party was held on December 6 at the Sortis Hotel and cost at least $22,709.92.
At that collective agreement, Etesa also made the commitment to deliver a “Christmas bag” or bonus to each worker before December 20. This year’s bonus is a coupon book with a value of $80.
In a statement, the union stressed that the suspension of its traditional Christmas party would represent a “serious violation” of the collective agreement, a document that has the “force of law.” “Sitiespa will continue to look after the interests of workers in the electrical and similar sectors, and ensure the correct use of public resources ,” he added.
After three meetings of the Finance Committee of the Panama City Council , the 26 representatives of the districts approved the budget of the Panama City Mayor’s Office for the year 2025, in a session held this Tuesday.
The budget of the Municipality of Panama for the fiscal year 2025 will be $231.8 million , according to the project presented by the administration of Mayor Mayer Mizrachi .
The approved budget for 2025 represents a reduction of $93.7 million compared to the 2024 budget, which amounted to $325.5 million and was presented by then- Mayor José Luis Fábrega. The decrease reflects a significant adjustment in the management of municipal resources, adapting to new financial priorities.
For next year, each of the 26 municipal councils will receive $850,000 , which amounts to a total of $22.1 million from the Investment and Social Assistance Fund. For its part, the mayor’s office will have $2.4 million, an amount that reflects the operational needs of the central administration.
The document also details the distribution of funds for the communal councils in three installments scheduled for February, May and September 2025. In addition, it includes a specific provision for election years, establishing that the February and May installments may only be committed up to 50% of their total amount, thus limiting the use of resources in a pre-election context.
The lack of consensus on various aspects of the budget had caused delays in its approval. The councillors, at the time, requested corrections and greater clarity in the distribution of resources.
Key topics of the debate included parity in the payrolls of the communal councils, the management of the multimillion-dollar debt inherited from the administration of former mayor José Luis Fábrega (2019-2024) of 165 million dollars and the implications of the containment of spending on the funds destined for the districts.
Abraham Rico Pineda , the son of deputy Raúl Pineda who is accused in the framework of the anti-drug operation Jericó , was transferred from the La Nueva Joya prison, in Pacora, to the El Renacer rehabilitation center , in Gamboa.
The transfer took place on December 13th.
Rico Pineda was arrested on August 20, 2024, in front of the offices of the First Superior Court of Justice of the Accusatory Criminal System (SPA), in Plaza Ágora. The next day, a judge legalized his arrest, ordered his provisional detention (for six months, for the moment) and charged him with the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering.
Rico Pineda’s wife and father are also under investigation in this case.
Raúl Pineda’s alleged involvement in these crimes will be determined by the Supreme Court of Justice, given his status as a deputy. Judge Olmedo Arrocha , as rapporteur of the case, said this week that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has sent him 51 volumes, which he must now study in depth.
The judge of guarantees Justo Vargas charged him with femicide and aggravated robbery and ordered the arrest of Ronaldo Gabriel Machado Soto , 26 years old, for the murder of the young Claudia Timpson , 22 years old, who was his sentimental partner.
This Tuesday, December 17, Machado, who was a candidate for representative of Ancón for the Molirena party, faced a hearing, two days after the incident that occurred last weekend.
At the court hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office presented evidence that supports the defendant’s responsibility, such as a phone call he made to his mother, in which he confessed to having killed his partner. According to reports, Machado’s mother contacted the authorities to report what happened.
The judge ordered the preventive detention of Machado Soto for the murder of his girlfriend, which occurred last Sunday, December 15, considering that it is a serious crime and that the accused represents a risk to society.
The prosecution established that the victim received two bullet wounds to the head and then his body was dumped near the Rod Carew stadium. Machado Soto then moved to a property located in the Chame area; there, 17 bullet casings and a magazine were found in his vehicle, as well as traces of blood.
According to investigations, the trigger for the femicide was jealousy, since on Saturday night Machado Soto had reproached Timpson for some messages she had received on a cell phone.
During the hearing, the prosecutor revealed that the victim’s cell phone and the firearm used to kill her have not yet been located.
On Tuesday, police and criminal investigation officers were conducting a search in a wooded area near Merca Panama where the accused claimed to have thrown the firearm.
For the next academic training period, which begins on January 6, 2025, 141 English sessions will be opened in face-to-face and virtual modalities, expanding access to the entire national territory, according to the plans of the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel) and the National Institute of Professional Training and Training for Human Development (Inadeh).
The entities make the announcement on December 17, just one day after the Comptroller General of the Republic announced the increase in unemployment and informal employment, while experts in the labor market warn of the gaps between what companies need and the profile of applicants for the few job openings.
In this context, the Minister of Labor, Jackeline Muñoz, spoke about reinforcing free training in English, an essential language in sectors such as hotels, tourism, logistics and call centers.
During a press conference, Muñoz de Cedeño and the director of Inadeh, Yajaira Pitti, announced that more than 17,766 Panamanians have already participated in these courses, which offer courses from basic to advanced levels. The goal: to increase the employability of participants and support the economic reactivation of the country.
In the courses planned for 2025, they hope to train 12,000 people in the English language. She explained that of the 141 sessions that will be taught, 61 will be in person and 80 virtual.
With more than 50% of graduates managing to enter the labor market, this training represents a key tool for Panamanians seeking employment in sectors where English is an essential requirement. From gastronomy to the maritime sector, mastery of the language has become a bridge to better-paid job opportunities.
Those interested in taking part in the courses can register through the Inadeh offices or its online platform, or call 538-2300 and 6379-1469.