Bud
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Posts posted by Bud
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Good feedback, Keith. I had not thought about it, but your comment makes sense to me, i.e., main distribution trunks and then tributary feeds. Clearly the street that Dra Chely lives on would not be a main distribution trunk, but there have to be at least several dozen homes to be serviced there. When I think about showers, and toilets, and clothes washers going, even at a 20% to 30% duty cycle, that pipe won't be sufficient.
I have to add that these workers are working very hard. Difficult situations, bad weather at times, and little appreciation. At least these pictures are a bit of recognition on our part.
We hope the end result justifies all of this energy.
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And then yesterday, July 13th, Marcelyn and I had to go to Dra. Chely's vet office for a debrief on the blood lab work for Anouk. It was a long walk from where we could safely park to get to Dra Chely's home/office, and an opportunity to get up close with the workers as they were "closing in" on the sewer pipe installation. A few shots here. BTW, the gray stuff directly below the bend in the pipe is freshly poured concrete.
I preface this paragraph with a disclaimer: I am NOT an engineer, I have zero experience with these kinds of projects, and I don't want to sound critical, BUT: the pipe, which I presume to be the sewer (waste) effluent pipe looks to be terribly small to me.
From Keith's reply just above mine, it appears he knows quite a bit about these kinds of projects. Maybe Keith could comment on my observation about the pipe size.
And finally for the curious, I do not seek out these projects. They (the workers and the trenches and the messes) are just everywhere. I can't avoid them. So I just document them as the mood strikes me.
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Here is the same scene a couple of days later.showing the trench fully closed up. Last picture that I will show of this site.
Looks like a real mess to me. Glad I do not live on that street.
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Calls for help in bribery case linked to Martinelli, Mizrachi
Posted on July 13, 2016 in Panama
Aaron Mizrachi, fled Panama on Martinelli jetPost Views: 84MEXICO and the Virgin Islands have been asked to assist in a Panama corruption investigation linked to former president Ricardo Martinelli and his brother- in- law Aaron Mizrachi .
The sixth anti-corruption prosecutor has issued judicial assistance requests to the two countries as part of the investigation being carried out into alleged anomalies in the procurement and installation of software acquired from the company Advance Consulting, a distributor of SAP in Panama.
Mexican authorities are being asked to interview Mauricio Deveaux, a legal representative of Advanced Consulting, about bribes that were allegedly paid to government officials.
The Virgin Islands is being asked about banking information related to Aaron Mizrachi through the company Caribbean Holding, including the existence of safety deposit boxes connected to the company.
Recently, a judge rejected a motion by Mizrachi to block the investigation.
Caribbean Holding is also linked to the investigations into the purchase of spy equipment by the government and the failed irrigation project in Tonosí.
Mizrachi fled the country. In August 2015 aboard Martinelli’s private jet.
SAP executive Vicente García pleaded guilty in the United States to paying bribes to Panama officials and people close to former President Ricardo Martinelli in exchange for contracts. Garcia was jailed.
Martinelli is fighting extradition from Miami to face trial for his role in the illegal surveillance of over 150 opposition politicians, journalists, judges and businessmen. Supreme Court Judge, Harry Diaz is acting as prosecutor in the case, and an Interpol Red Alert has been issued. Martinelli is also facing multiple corruption investigations.
Mizrachi’s son Mayer, is in Bogota, Colombia, awaiting deportation, after a request for political asylum was turned down, following a bizarre escape from immigration authorities after six months detention following his arrest in Cartagena in December.http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/calls-help-bribery-case-linked-martinelli-mizrachi
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Battle lines drawn on sex education
Posted on July 13, 2016 in Panama
Civil groups unite to support sex education billPost Views: 82WITH OVER 1000, child teen pregnancies a month and a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases, 15 civil organizations, faced with ongoing opposition from church authorities, have banded together to support the law on sexual and reproductive education now before the National Assembly.
“We cannot under any circumstances accept disinformation, manipulation and misrepresentation that has been part of the opposition to the project,” said their spokespersons at a Wednesday July 13 press conference.
The groups said there should be no delay in the implementation of the law.(61)
Since 1999, when the National Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health was established, there has been a call to government authorities about the need for a law that is focused on the protection of children, adolescents and youth. However, all attempts were “held back” by the same groups who now oppose a law on comprehensive sexuality education.
The civil groups called to the government of Juan Carlos Varela to give greater attention to an issue, which has become a public health problem.
And, according to the alliance , the situation has worsened with nearly a thousand teenage pregnancies per month, the increase in sexually transmitted infections, early onset of sexual relations in the minors, among other problems.
The conference also argued that there cannot be an intrusion of Churches in state affairs.
“There is separation of church and state because the government’s commitment is the welfare of the whole nation, and this is a public health issue and as such needs to be addressed.”
The bishops of the Catholic Church at the Panamanian Episcopal Conference affirmed that parents have the duty and the right to be the first and irreplaceable educators of their children, also in the sexual plane., They have expressed concern about the content of bill 61.
While there is consensus on the need for health lessons and sex education in schools in the country, yet no agreement is reached on how it should be addressed this issue.
The Platform for Children has planned a march from the El Carmen church on Via Espana to Plaza Cinco de Mayo to reject bill 61 and the guidelines on sex education and reproduction.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/battle-lines-drawn-sex-education
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Nothing political in rejection of asylum plea
Posted on July 12, 2016 in Panama
Mizrachi at the time of his arrestPost Views: 119“There is absolutely nothing political” in the refusal of Colombia to grant political asylum to Panamanian fugitive, Mayer Mizrachi, says Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin.
Mizrachi, Panama playboy, businessman and Ricardo Martinelli relative by marriage who is under investigation for the commission of crimes against public administration to the detriment of the Government Innovation Authority (AIG), fled Panama for Fort Lauderdale in Florida. He left his Floida hideout and flew to Cartegena Co ombia where he was arrested by Interpol in December. On his release from prison he escaped from immigration authorities waiting to deport him.
He then applied for political asylum, using the “political persecution” mantra familiar to many of the previous administration facing trial for corruption. “He was refused asylum and has ten working days to exercise his appeal” which will be on July 22, said Holguin
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/nothing-political-rejection-asylum-plea
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Flu cases falling as death toll reaches 52.
Posted on July 12, 2016 in Panama
Over 1.7 million vaccinationsPost Views: 30THE A (H1N1) influenza death toll has risen to 52 and 297 people are still hospitalized, many of them in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
The figures were released Tuesday, July 12, by the Health Commission for Coordination and Communication.
According to the report, over 80% of deaths were registered in people with risk factors and other associated complications.
Many of them died after a prolonged period of hospitalization in ICU
The total cumulative cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases requiring hospitalization is 2,476, of which 2,179 patients have already been discharged.
At the close of the epidemiological week 26, for the second consecutive week, the commission announced that a decrease in flu cases and SARI was recorded.
“This decrease takes us further away from the epidemic area, we left the warning area and we are in the security zone. If this trend continues we will have shortened the duration of flu season this year for at least four weeks “said the document.
The report says that since April 22 to date 1,736,526 doses of influenza vaccine. have been administered,
The facilities of the Social Security Fund and the Ministry of Health will continue to provide vaccination, Monday through Friday, through quotas, giving priority to the vulnerable population, those over 65, children under five and those with chronic complaints.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/flu-cases-falling-death-toll-reaches-52
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Panama: Financing for Electricity Distribution
The Electricity Transmission Company is preparing to make two issues of $350 million and $500 million on the New York Stock Exchange in order to finance the fourth transmission line and carry out improvement works on existing lines.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Authorities at the Electricity Transmission Company of Panama (Etesa) have hired Scotiabank to structure the emissions to be made on the New York Stock Exchange. The funds raised will be used to build a fourth transmission line, whose tender will be announced in early 2017.
See: "Panama: Fourth Transmission Line Could Cost $480 million"
Ivan Barria, general manager of Etesa told Capital.com.pa that "... besides the construction of two transmission lines they will be re powering existing lines to increase energy transport capacity, added to this is the construction of several transmission rings that will help provide redundancy to the transmission system and increase transportation capacity to 6,000 megawatts (MW) by the year 2019. "
"... Barria said that having a modern and efficient energy transmission and distribution system will not only improve the internal power supply but transform Panama into the main energy hub in the region, facilitating the exchange of energy between North, Central and South America."http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Financing_for_Electricity_Distribution
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Panama: Convention Center Tender in Boquete
Tender documents are being prepared for the construction of the new center in the province of Chiriqui, which will have an area of 4,000 square meters and capacity for 2,000 people.
Monday, July 11, 2016
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
The first green convention center in Central America will be built in Boquete, Chiriqui province, in an area of 4000 m2 and will have capacity for 2,000 people.
According to the manager of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), Gustavo Him, this convention center will have a short - term impact on the province and its structure will be different because it will have green areas, wastewater management and also will use an energy saving system."It will be a unique structure in the region to promote events, congresses and green tourism which will attract visitors from Europe and the US," he said.http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Convention_Center_Tender_in_Boquete
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I wonder if this might have an impact on our electricity rates?
QuoteElectricity subsidies plummet over $150 million
Posted on July 11, 2016 in Panama
Post Views: 100STATE ELECTRICITY subsidies in Panama have fallen by over $150 million since 2014.
The amount paid by decreased from $400 million in 2014 to an estimated $46 million this year.
The government, in the first half of this year, spent $23 million in subsidies.
The decrease is due to two main factors, a decrease in fuel prices, which have resulted in lower electricity costs, and a review of the formula used to determine how much the state pays in the subsidies reports La Prensa
That review led to the state increasing subsidies for users of less than 300 kilowatts hours (kwh) per month, with the idea being that low-income families used less electricity.
The subsidy was created in 2004 to help people deal with the impact of rising electric costs. It initially covered users of up to 55 kilowatts per month, but in 2012 that amount started to be moved to current levels.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/electricity-subsidies-150-million
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How do you like the expression on Martinelli's face? I don't know what word I would use to describe it -- possibly exasperation???
QuoteMartinelli appeals “flatly rejected”
Posted on July 11, 2016 in Panama
Martinelli facing at least 7 criminal cases. still walks freePost Views: 117AS FORMER PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli and his battery of lawyers twist and turn to find ways to block the runaway from appearing before Panama judges, the Foreign Ministry has flatly rejected as “unfounded” two appeals filed by the defense .
His lawyers sought to halt the extradition of the former leader, who is being investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) for the alleged commission of the crime against inviolability of secrecy and the right to privacy for allegedly spying on at least 150 people.
Official sources told La Prensa that the rejection is of the opposition to the extradition request, and a warning of unconstitutionality in the process, that reached the office of Chancellor de Alvarado rom Rogelio Cruz, one of the Martinelli lawyers.
On May 27 last, Judge Jerome Mejia-in functions of judge of guarantees presented to the Foreign Ministry a request to extradite and arrest Martinelli, who left the country on January 28, 2015 and is located in Miami, United States.
Martinelli is required within the process followed by the unauthorized interception of communications, through the National Security Council during his tenure (2009-2014).
The defense claims that the extradition request is null, since his client has not been charged, which is a violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the American Convention on Human Rights.
However, in October 2015v, the prosecutor Judge Harry Diaz filed an indictment pointing to Martinelli for the alleged commission of crimes of inviolability of secrecy and privacy, embezzlement and embezzlement of use.
Martinelli is also facing prosecution in multiple other cases involving alleged corruption for sums running into scores of millions of dollars. His two sons who are also accused of corruption have fled the country, and their whereabouts are unknown. Numerous members of the former president’s inner circle have also fled Panama. At least one of them on Martinelli’s private jet.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/martinelli-appeals-flatly-rejected
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On 6/16/2016 at 6:38 AM, Dottie Atwater said:
Bud, where do you get the forms for the Tasa Unica? Is it possibly the same form that I use to pay property taxes?
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Dottie,
In case it might help, here is a scan of the form that we use at Banco Nacional for our foundation. One simple form, which you get at the bank.
I do not know the answer to your second question. We are still in the exoneration period for not having to pay property taxes.
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Panama park risks de-listing as heritage site
Posted on July 10, 2016 in Panama, Panama
Post Views: 170ANOTHER Panama treasure , designated as a World Heritage by the United Nations body Unesco, is in danger of losing the prestigious labeling.
The status of La Amistad International Park, located between Panama and Costa Rica, will be evaluated by a team from Unesco at a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. The deliberations began Sunday, July 10.
Among the issues being examined are the lack of an environmental management plan and the impact of livestock and agriculture.
These issues will be presented in a report by a mission from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Unesco advisory body.
In this assessment, it suggested that the park be included on the list of threatened world heritage sites. This would be the second heritage site in Panama to be placed on the list, with the first being the forts at Portobelo and San Lorenzo.
The IUCN report stated that the management of the protected area “has not improved” and said there is a lack of funding to ensure its conservation.
A delegation from Panama led by officials from the Ministry of the Environment is attending the meeting.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-park-risks-de-listing-heritage-site
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Perez Balladares rejoins political scrum
Posted on July 10, 2016 in Panama
Ernesto Perez BalladaresPost Views: 99FORMER PRESIDENT Ernesto Perez “El Toro” Balladares is ready to climb back into the political arena with his eyes hovering on the possibility of another run for the top job,
He intends to register as a candidate for the post of secretary general of the PRD party on Monday, July 11.
Perez Balladares will run as part of a ticket with current PRD President Benicio Robinson, current Secretary General Carlos Pérez Herrera, who will be running for first vice president, and Alí Waked, who will run for secretary.
The nomination period opens Monday and ends Friday. The election will be Oct. 30, when 4,200 party delegates will choose the new members of the executive committee.
The election to select delegates will be July 31.
Current legislative members Elías Castillo, Leandro Avila, Ruben De Leon and Pedro Miguel González are likely to also seek positions on the executive committee.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/perez-balladares-rejoins-political-scrum
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Banks take over as Soho posts “for sale” sign
Posted on July 9, 2016 in Panama
Post Views: 99ANOTHER PILLAR of the Waked family empire is disappearing as the creditors of Soho Mall have agreed on the formation of a board of directors to manage the facility and receive bids from potential buyers.
The National Bank of Panama (BNP), whose manager is León Rolando, will act as the trustee, reports La Prensa.
Soho Mall, a flagship project of the Waked group does not have debts with the BNP, which is also in charge of the trust to which the assets of Felix B. Maduro, another jewel in the family crown, were transferred.
As the new directors of Soho Mall, creditor banks selected Rafael Reyes, José Barrios and Héctor Alexander.
Reyes is director at Multibank. He was previously linked to Banco Continental and was on the Board of Directors of the Banking Association of Panama.
Barrios is an engineer by profession. He held managerial positions in the Panama Canal, Esso Standard Oil, Cerveceria Nacional, and Cable & Wireless.
Alexander was Minister of Economy and Finance in the government of Martín Torrijos. He was deputy manager of the Colon Free Zone and has been representative to international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Abdul Waked banned from US
Abdul Waked, the owner of Soho Mall, was placed on the Clinton sanction list by the U.S. government in May for alleged links to money laundering and drug smuggling cartels.
The appointment of a board of directors will allow the mall to stay in business until it is sold. He owes about $176 million for the project.
Waked, who has been banned from entering the USA during the last 20 years. has already lost control of the family bank and the group’s trust company. His nephew Nidal, is in detention in Colombia awaiting extradition to Florida where prosecutors are calling for a 50-year jail term.
A separate, but slow moving investigation is underway in Panama.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/banks-take-soho-posts-sale-sign
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MEDIA WATCH: Panama must move on sex education
Posted on July 9, 2016 in Panama
There are over 32 child and teen pregnancies in Panama every day.Post Views: 74Hoyporhoy, La Prensa July 9.
A PART of public opinion has reacted with a sense of discomfort to the proposed guidelines for sexual education, still in the draft stage, and Bill 61, which organizes the policy of sexual and reproductive health, that by coincidence are simultaneously in the public eye.
Panama has soent much of the current century discussing and debating sex education initiatives that fail because of resistance and very vocal opposition from some sectors, usually linked to the dominant religious cults.
A part of public opinion has reacted with a sense of discomfort to the proposed guidelines for sexual education, still in the draft stage, and Bill 61, which organizes the policy of sexual and reproductive health, and that by coincidence are simultaneously in the fore. Panama took much of the current century discussing and debating sex education initiatives that fail because resistance and very vocal opposition sectors, usually linked to the dominant religious cults in our country. As if it were a a late night introduction , or a legislative maneuver, Bill 61 seems to have caught certain groups by surprise despite the entire year it was in first debate, insist that it was not consulted, and see in the text of the ghosts exist. While some parents have been diligent and very responsible with the sexual education of their children, the vast majority of children and young Panamanians learn on the street. The world of Nevermore is over, we have a new reality that needs to be addressed. Panama awake.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/media-watch-panama-must-move-sex-education
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QuoteJuly 5, 2016 7:00 pm JST
Expanded Panama Canal a boon for fuel-hungry Japan
AKANE TAMURA, Nikkei staff writer
This Nippon Yusen ship was the first to pass through when the expanded Panama Canal opened for business on June 27.
TOKYO -- The recent expansion of the Panama Canal -- which vastly reduces the time needed for U.S. shipments of liquefied petroleum gas to reach Japan -- is expected to accelerate Japan's efforts to wean itself off its reliance on Middle Eastern LPG for a more diversified, stable supply.
On June 27, when the expanded canal went into commercial operation, a Japanese vessel was the first to pass through the waterway. The Nippon Yusen VLGC, or very large gas carrier, was transporting LPG for Tokyo-based Astomos Energy, an affiliate of major Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan.
The ship is scheduled to arrive at a terminal in the Keihin district along the western coast of Tokyo Bay by the end of July.
LPG is a key source of energy for Japan, where about half of the households use propane -- produced from LPG -- for heating purposes.
The canal expansion will significantly shorten the time it takes to transport LPG from U.S. production bases on the Atlantic side. According to some estimates, the share of U.S. shipments in Japan's LPG imports will increase to over 30% from about 20% currently. The expansion is also expected to help Japan diversify its sources of the fuel, contributing to the country's goal of securing a more stable energy supply.
Shortcut
In a speech at the opening ceremony on June 26, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said the expansion is significant not only for Panama but also for the world.
That is certainly the case for Japan.
The main reason is that the expansion allows passage of VLGCs, which can carry huge amounts of LPG in their 36-meter-wide hulls.Large ships delivering U.S. LPG to Japan have long had to make a circuitous trip around the southern tip of Africa, a journey that can take as long as 45 days. But with the canal expansion, the journey is vastly shortened to just 22 to 30 days.
July 5, 2016 7:00 pm JSTExpanded Panama Canal a boon for fuel-hungry Japan
AKANE TAMURA, Nikkei staff writer
The new route is likely to bring big changes to Japan's energy industry.
For starters, it is expected to boost the share of U.S. LPG in Japan's imports, which have long been dominated by shipments from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia.
In the fiscal year ended March 2008, 91% of Japanese LPG imports were from the Middle East. By fiscal 2015, however, that ratio had shrunk to 62%, mainly due to the emerging "shale revolution" in the U.S. The global share of U.S. LPG -- a shale-oil byproduct -- rose to 25% in 2015.
Slightly over 20% of Japan's LPG imports were from the U.S. in fiscal 2015, and that figure is expected to continue rising, supported in part by the Panama Canal expansion.
Prices are another area where the canal revamp is expected to impact Japan's energy industry.
The prices that Japan pays for LPG are based on the so-called contract price issued each month to customers by the state-run Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco).
The contract price is set based on crude oil prices and the current LPG supply-demand balance. It tends to be higher in winter when the gas is in greater demand for heating purposes. In recent years, the price has been increasingly impacted by export prices of LPG produced in areas outside the Middle East.
When prices of Japanese imports of crude and LPG are compared on a yen-per-unit-of-energy basis, it is clear that in setting the contract price, Saudi Arabia is factoring in demand for exports from other oil producers.
For example, the average LPG contract price between November 2007 and February 2008 was 1,804 yen ($17.68) per kilojoule of the fuel, 187 yen higher than the comparable average crude price of 1,617 yen for the same period. But the average LPG price for November 2014 to February 2015 was 1,458 yen, only 105 yen more than the average crude price of 1,353 yen during the same period. Competition with U.S. shipments appears to have made the gap narrower.
"The growing share of U.S. products prompted Aramco to consider their prices when setting the contract price," said an Astomos Energy official. "Now that it's easier for U.S. products to reach key Asian markets, you can expect price pressure on the contract price to increase."
The Japan LP Gas Association plans to diversify its LPG sources to help ensure more stable energy supply for the country, said association Chairman Osamu Masuda on June 15 shortly before stepping down.
"We want to expand supply sources to more areas, such as Australia, Africa and Canada," Masuda said.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Markets/Commodities/Expanded-Panama-Canal-a-boon-for-fuel-hungry-Japan
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QuoteJune 3, 2016 2:00 am JST
Japan LPG carrier to be first to sail expanded Panama Canal
TOKYO -- The first vessel to cross the newly widened Panama Canal will be a Nippon Yusen tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas.
Ships as big as this gas carrier -- capacity 46,000 tons -- traveled from the U.S. East Coast to Japan by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. Taking the Panama Canal, which has been expanded to accommodate larger vessels, will shorten that roughly 45-day voyage to 22-30 days.
Nippon Yusen, one of the canal's top users, will have the honor of sailing first through the man-made wonder on June 27. A ceremony the day before will mark the completion of work to increase the maximum allowed width of vessels transiting the canal from 32 meters to 49 meters.
The tanker will deliver LPG to the Tokyo area for Idemitsu Kosan affiliate Astomos Energy.
LPG is an important fuel for Japan in the form of propane, used by roughly half of households for cooking and heating water. The country imports 70% of its LPG from the Middle East. The canal expansion may let Japanese imports of American LPG rise from 20% to about 30%, analysts say.
The expansion "will help diversify our procurement sources," Astomos Energy said.
It also could herald a breakthrough for shipping liquefied natural gas. Japan is looking to the U.S. for supplies of LNG, which has been in greater demand as power plant fuel here since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
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An interesting statistic -- highlighted below in yellow -- that neither surprises me nor pleases me.
QuoteBishop’s move to stall sex-education bill
Posted on July 8, 2016 in Panama
Post Views: 161PANAMA’S BISHOPS have made their expected move to block or delay a proposed sexual education program for schools as the country struggles to cope with over 32 recorded child and teen pregnancies every day.
The Ministry of Health figures do not include Social Security (CSS) and private hospital deliveries.
The Panamanian Episcopal Conference at the end of their plenary assembly on Friday, July 8, issued a statement in which it stressed that parents have the duty and the right to be “the first, main and irreplaceable educators of their children” on sexual and moral issues.
The bishops also stressed that they share concerns with civil groups over the contents of the proposed bill awaiting second debate in the National Assembly that would create a comprehensive sexual education program for the country’s schools.
“Taking into account the questions and concerns that the project has attracted in large segments of society, we call for this initiative to be returned to first debate to listen to the proposals of the various sectors and develop the necessary consensus,” they said.
Taking into account the attendance record of deputies and the slow moving administrative process, sending the bill back may see it talked to death.
The proposal has been introduced to combat issues such as teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health will jointly oversee the implementation of the program if it is approved.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/bishops-move-stall-sex-education-bill
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This story is like an EverReady battery, it just keeps going and going and going.
QuotePanama Bank fingered in Brazil bribery probe
Posted on July 8, 2016 in Panama
The Lava Jato operation has revealed how the Brazilian state company handled millions in bribesPost Views: 162ANOTHER PANAMA link to the Lava Jato (car wash) bribery scandal that has led to the collapse of Brazil’s government and economy involves the Panama firm Mossack Fonseca.
Police raided the Brazil offices of Mossack Fonseca
The law firm whose activities have sent shock waves around the world served as a vehicle to a person identified in Brazil as a representative of FPB Bank to create offshore companies for customers to hide “dubious” activities, Brazilian officials announced on Thursday, July 7 as part of the investigation.
“The financial institution and the office of Mossack Fonseca were used between different clients to move ‘dirty’ money connected to the Lava Jato investigation,” said federal police according to the Brazilian newspaper Folha.
The researchers detailed that FPB Bank, based in Panama, did not have authorization from the Central Bank of Brazil to operate in the country.
“It acted with the objective of creating accounts in the national territory to facilitate the flow of money of dubious origin to the exterior of the national financial system,” added the Brazilian authorities.
This is at least the third Panamanian bank mentioned in the Lavo Jato investigations, joining Credicorp Bank and Multicredit Bank reports La Prensa.
FPB Bank was registered in Panama in 2004 and and has been licensed by the Superintendency of Banks since May 2005. Its capital is $13.6 million.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-bank-fingered-brazil-bribery-probe
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Yesterday afternoon (Friday, July 8th), we were running errands in town again. Here is another shot of the same street (slightly different angle because of the signs blocking the view). They pretty much had that section completed.
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Flu deaths reach 50, but cases shrinking
Posted on July 8, 2016 in Panama
Post Views: 32THE DEATH toll from the Panama A (H1N1) flu epidemic reached 50 on Friday July 8, but the Ministry of Health says the number of cases appears to be decreasing.
The epidemic has so far resulted in 2,266 people being admitted to hospitals, 2,000 of whom have since been released.
Health official Néstor Sosa said that despite the increase in the number of deaths, overall the number of cases appears to be decreasing, and officials think the epidemic is coming to an end.
However, he stressed that people should continue taking measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The ministry has vaccinated some 1.7 million people.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/h1n1-flu-deaths-reach-50-cases-shrinking
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But then again, here is another article that is not constrained by copyright on this same record breaking transit fee.
I find it interesting that two different sources provide different amounts for the transit fee for the same shipment - close but not exactly the same. What why?
QuoteNew Canal toll record
Posted on July 8, 2016 in Panama, Panama
Post Views: 179THE RECORD toll for a ship transiting the Panama Canal was broken on Friday, July 8, only a week after the previous record high.
The containership Mol Beyond paid a new record toll of $837,203 to the Canal Authority.
The previous record paid for a vessel was the containership Mol Benefactor, which paid $829,468 a week ago.
To date, 18 post-panamax vessels have used the expanded locks since they opened at the end of June. There are 156 reservations for the coming months.
Canal Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano made the announcement during a forum organized by the City of Knowledge and the Maritime University of Panama on the expansion of the Panama Canal.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-4/new-cansl-toll-record
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Due to copyright restrictions, I cannot provide the full text of this article. The title pretty much says it all, but if you wish to read the full article, then click on the hotlink at the bottom of this posting.
QuoteMOL Benefactor pays record fee of $841,000 to transit expanded Panama Canal
eShop Boquete - Information About Inbound Freight Forwarding Shipments from the USA
in Business Operations
Posted · Edited by Admin_01
clarify the title a bit
I just received the following email from Karinthia Lamastus, who is the manager of eShop Boquete. I am posting her email with her permission.
My interpretation of this message is that this action by Panamanian officials affected ALL carriers, such as eShop Boquete, MBE Boquete, Airbox Express, etc., etc., for the specified time frame.