The Canal expansion conundrum still unsolved

WHEN IT COMES to the future of work on the Panama Canal expansion project and the $1.6 billion dispute, the only certainty seems to be that nothing is certain.

In a battle between the largely European consortium, GUPC, that appears to be playing out via media outlets, conflicting reports are appearing almost by the hour.

On Monday, January 13, the chairman of the Spanish company Sacyr said that the consortium would finish the project in 2015, and Panama’s Chamber of Commerce President Jose Luis Ford hastened to say on Tuesday that the situation between the company and the Panama Canal Authority seems to have improved.
Ford had a meeting planned with Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano to discuss the situation and said that the Chamber is seeking to assist the Authority.
Meanwhile, heading into the meeting, Quinjano said the ACP has not received any confirmation of the Sacyr promise.
Quijano said that the ACP must receive written evidence of the contractor's intention of continuing with the work. He added that he expects Sacyr to have the good judgment to continue the work since all will benefit.
As to the pace of construction, Quijano said that each day of low production or suspension "becomes one more day of delay" reports La Prensa.
"We hope work is resumed at full capacity soon, but it will depend on the contractor," he said. Early reports said that the work force at the site had dropped from 10,000 in December to 2,000 and daily progress was down 70%.