Presidency parties on in spite of ban

The Ministry of the Presidency became the first to flout a Ministry of Finance (MEF) order to suspend all activities related to Mother's Day, Christmas and New Year for the rest of fiscal year 2012.

The order came in an MEF circular on December 3, explaining that the measure was taken because of the large number of victims of floods in the provinces of Colon and Panama and resolution No. 157 of November 26 2012, by the government of President Ricardo Martinelli, declaring a state of emergency. The note was sent to the Comptroller of the Republic of Panama, to notify all ministries and autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies an official source who asked to remain anonymous, told La Prensa.
However, the Ministry of the Presidency disregarded the notice and conversely, says La Prensa “celebrated Mothers’ Day with great fanfare, in a hotel in the banking sector of the capital, with orchestra included.
The staff of the Institutional Protection System was also feted at the premises of the Presidency itself with the participation of Panamanian singer participated Margarita Henriquez who spread the news on Twitter.
Luis Eduardo Camacho media mouthpiece for the presidency told La Prensa that he did not participate in the event, but said it was at the discretion of each entity, as long as they were small receptions.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Frank De Lima, said that the Cabinet Council agreed that the entities had arranged hotel and spent money in preparation for year-end holidays, could carry on.
President Martinelli said the Cabinet authorized departments to go ahead with activities whose planning was well advanced and would bring charges anyway."
The secretary general of the Federation of Civil Servants, Alfredo Berrocal, who argues that the events are the major contradictions of the current government. "Restrictions for a sector, but for a minority' waste and privilege" he said..
The Comptroller has scheduled for January 13, 2013 the celebration of her department’s 82nd year with estimated spending of $92,000.
 Information published in PanamáCompra, says the Comptroller, Gioconda de Bianchini. a former Martinelli employee, , directly hired a hall with capacity for 2900 people in the Hotel El Panama. The reservation includes two complimentary rooms and five bar stations.