Administrators Admin_03 Posted November 14, 2021 Administrators Share Posted November 14, 2021 Quote Security and transparency key issues in report to Cortizo Posted 14/11/2021 Security and transparency are the principal issues in a report entitled “Closing Gaps” that will arrive on the desk of President Laurentino Cortizo in the coming days . The report results from the dialogue of the Bicentennial Pact, in which 175,992 initiatives or ideas were analyzed. Citizens demand more efficiency from the security forces in matters of crime and drug trafficking, since there is a "citizen dissatisfaction" in relation to the results obtained in the actions to contain delinquency and criminality, in proportion to "the costs and resources invested in the responsible institutions ”. Among the 187 national consensus proposals accepted within the dialogue, there is one to comprehensively review the organic laws that govern the security estates and their management positions and human resources, in order to optimize the future projection. Currently, the Public Force (National Police, National Border Service, National Aeronoaval Service, National Migration Service, and Institutional Protection Service) has more than 30,000 officials, of which about 25,000 are agents. Top Heavy The National Police alone has some200 commissioners (the highest grade in the hierarchy), 185 sub-commissioners, 313 majors, and 833 captains. The budget of the Ministry of Security, headed by Juan Pino, which does not include the Institutional Protection Service (SPI), is $847 million for 2022. In recent months, a wave of homicides has unleashed, many in broad daylight in places where they were not seen before. On this issue, Pino said that since November 1 they have given clear instructions to the agents to "search and prosecute" organized crime. Citizens, appeal for better public policies of comprehensive security since they consider that the strategy of prevention and detection of common crimes and organized crime, by the National Police, does not respond to the citizen clamor. Likewise, they ask to adopt -through legal mechanisms- a national strategy for citizen security and to link crime prevention strategies with sports programs. Another aspect that citizens question is the weak prison system, since there is a limited capacity of penal centers for the prevention of criminal recidivism and the re-socialization of the population deprived of liberty. Added to this is judicial delay, the violation of human rights, and corruption in the prison context. It is also proposed to establish a general plan for the construction, adaptation, and maintenance of functional prisons, in compliance with international principles and standards for the protection of human rights. Transparency On the issue of transparency, the criticisms are focused on public and private management, where there is a "public mistrust", as they warn about the lack of ethics in public and private entities, as well as poor accountability. To counteract this mistrust, a national training plan on public ethics and transparency and the implementation of a general public administration law is proposed to optimize the regulatory framework for transparency. Likewise, they ask for institutional strengthening through accountability and open governments, because there are “weak institutions” that are not adequately accountable. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/security-and-transparency-key-issues-in-report-to-cortizo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Admin_03 Posted November 14, 2021 Author Administrators Share Posted November 14, 2021 Quote OPINION: Unacceptable Ineptitude Posted 14/11/2021 Unlike the dialogue by the Social Security Fund - mired in sterile discussions of form - that of the Bicentennial Pact presents concrete and timely proposals. They are ambitious goals for a government that is distinguished by its ineffectiveness, lack of transparency, and an unacceptable ineptitude in the high command, not counting the enormous number of civil servants hired to fulfill clientelist commitments, functional ignorant who receive salary just for sitting in an office without work (and sometimes not even that). Thus, for example, citizens demand in the Pact greater efficiency in matters of citizen security. Delinquency and the high crime rate expose the lack of a serious and planned policy in this matter. The proposals show how expensive it is to maintain the security forces versus their poor and questionable results. And that is a fact, not a perception. Citizens also complain about the usual vices: opacity and lack of ethics and accountability in public management, for which they suggest drawing up a national plan for public ethics training and transparency, as well as creating a general law on public administration. If only some of these aspirations materialize, it will have been a good idea to have convened the Pact. as well as creating a general law of public administration. LA PRENSA, Nov. 14. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-unacceptable-ineptitude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted November 17, 2021 Moderators Share Posted November 17, 2021 Quote Panama heading the way of Venezuela – ex-minister Posted 17/11/2021 Former Minister of Public Works, José Antonio Domínguez, told TVN that there is no certainty that what has happened with Odebrecht in countries where justice reigns will happen in Panama. He recalled that in the United States they sentenced businessmen for giving bribes in Panama, but nothing has happened here. Domínguez pointed out that the judicial system has an attitude of: I do not see, I do not hear and I do not speak. He stressed that, despite the fact that Odebrecht accepted to have given bribes in the country and reached an accusation agreement, it is not known how many people are imprisoned, how many law firms are involved, and how many are prosecuted. "There in the US they can imprison the two Martinelli brothers, but here in Panama the culprits will continue the lives of the rich and famous without anyone touching them," The former minister reiterated that he does not trust the Panamanian justice, because the laws are not enforced, in addition, he did not rule out that there are strong reactions from outside and people appointed abroad could be included in some lists. "If I am a power and I see that you are affecting me, I will include you in my list and in which I can put pressure on the outside and you are going to pay as a country," Domínguez asserted, recalling what happened in the Waked case. He was emphatic in saying that the judicial system has to straighten its course and do the work it should do or it will reach a system very similar to or worse than Venezuela. “We are leading the country to a disaster and the worst thing is that we have a people in a terrible lethargy, the people are not thinking. The people now think to allow a person who has been denounced, prosecuted, investigated abroad to govern the country. If we have the misfortune to be governed in this way, Venezuela will be a detail, "he said. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-heading-the-way-of-venezuela-ex-minister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted January 2, 2022 Moderators Share Posted January 2, 2022 Quote Time for government to comply with transparency commitment Posted 31/12/2021 The Cabinet Council has terminated the use of special procedures to acquire goods and services, in response to the immediate needs that arose with the pandemic, in March 2020. Since that moment has arrived, it is time for the president, the Minister of Economy and Finance and the officials assigned for this purpose to render a detailed report to the Nation on these expenses, not only verbally, but in writing, so that the Government responds for its decisions. Not enough - in any way - with the presentation of a digital report in Panama Buy. Officials must come forward, justify their decisions and explain in detail how the money was spent. At the same time, the Comptroller's Office must also be responsible for its endorsements, approvals, audits, and investigations of these expenses. And the same for the controller: to stand up, not only in writing, but also by answering questions from citizens and journalists. The Government is committed to transparency. Time to comply. - LA PRENSA, Dec. 31. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/time-for-government-to-comply-with-transparency-commitment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted January 7, 2022 Moderators Share Posted January 7, 2022 Quote Panama - a rich country that fails to eliminate poverty Posted 07/01/2022 The latest accountability reports from the Vice President of the Republic (who is also Minister of the Presidency) and the Comptroller General have left a bad taste. In the first place, why does the Presidency make purchases that correspond to other specialized institutions of the State? It is clear that he meddles in matters that are not within his competence, but we all suspect why he does so. In the case of the comptroller, his role of control has been sold to please the government thugs. He has emasculated the institution, turning it into a pathetic and shameful caricature. He criticized what he saw as his predecessor's self-centeredness and lack of planning, but his own report was an undeserved tribute to himself Expanding the horizon beyond these "reports", the government's leadership is erratic. The investments do not respond to a plan or objective, rather they seem to be the particular and isolated needs of the friends of power, while the collection of millions of dollars in taxes is waived or projects are built that do not solve the problems of the great majority, which explains why being a rich country we do not get out of poverty. We are suffering from institutional anarchy. - LA PRENSA, Jan. 6. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/panama-a-rich-country-that-fails-to-eliminate-poverty-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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