Lack of will to settle truck dispute closing Costa Rica border

“LACK OF WILL and follow through” by authorities in Panama and Costa Rica is the cause of the continuing closure of the border between the two countries says a Chiriqui business leader.

Mario Reyes Sicily, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Chiriqui (Camchi), emphasized that the conflict is not new.

Reyes Sicily currently holds the position of director of the Committee on Economic and Political Affairs Committee.
He lamented the lack of commitment of the parties about the agreement signed in March of this, when Costa Rican carriers closed the border for eight days, causing losses of nearly $ 2.1 million. During that time, some 800 trucks were detained on both sides.
Now, in the fourth day of stoppage which began at noon on Saturday, August 23 by Costa Rican carriers, are again denouncing irregularities in checks from Panama’s State Border Service (SENAFRONT), the losses are around a million dollars, at a rate of about $300 000 a day. Currently, the authorities have recorded 400 trucks affected. Trucks loaded with dry goods and other perishable products await a solution to the conflict.
While Tico carriers report that border police penalize for the smallest detail and retain their documents, Reyes Sicily said fines for the poor condition of the tires, lack of fire extinguishers and triangles are requirements that apply to all the trucks.
Reyes Sicily said that one way to address this situation would be through an abbreviated process for payment of minor infractions. So that Tico carriers would not have to travel to David, Chiriquí, to pay fines, and Panamanians should not go to the Central Bank of Costa Rica.
"There was an agreement that was signed in March, but the sad reality is that apparently our Costa Rican brothers are not respecting it, he said.