City council moves on garbage problem with government handout

Finally City Mayor Bosco Vallarino seems to have woken up to dealing with Panama’s garbage problem once defined by President Martinelli as his  prime responsibility.

Panama City’s municipal government will spend $8.6 million to purchase 51 garbage trucks.
Once again, as with the Christmas charade that cost over $1 million of taxpayer money, it will be a no-bid contract.

Bosco  has been under constant criticism for a series of blunders starting  with authorizing a travel ticket to Taiwan for his wife, followed by the Christmas shambles on the Cinta Costera that resulted in damage to grass, trees and shrubs and  installations.
He was attacked for issuing no-bid contracts to people with ties to City Hall, and later for his plans to sell off parts of t he city heritage.
He has justified the direct purchase by saying that the garbage situation in the city is critical and said the city was on the verge of an epidemic. He took office over 9 months ago.
Most of the cost of the trucks will be paid by the national government
The decision was approved by the 21 district representatives on the Municipal Council.
The new trucks, will not be delivered for at least four months. The last big purchase took three years to arrive.
Currently the city has only 21 trucks to cover 144 routes.
.Garbage collection has been a constant headache for both the municipal and central government, which constantly has to step forward to bail out the city
In 2005, the government spent $9 million to buy 55 garbage trucks that arrived three years later,