Varela to fight corruption, impunity, election abuses

MALEFACTORS in the administration of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli will get little comfort from President, Juan Carlos Varela’s, new year message vowing to fight impunity and corruption, and the elimination of the abuses that plagued the 2014 elections
 with the backing of Comptroller Federico Humbert and Attorney General Kenya Purcell, who took office on January 2.
“Those responsible for economic injury against the state are accountable to justice and we will proceed with the financial recovery of public funds belonging to all Panamanians,” Varela said during his speech to the nation, as part of the official acts of resumption of regular sessions of the National Assembly.

 It was Varela’s first report to the nation, since taking office last July,
Varela promised that the Cabinet will prepare a bill for that are recovered resources to be used in programs to access drinking water and housing.
“In our country there is still much inequality and poverty, so with so many needs the irresponsible use and abuse of public funds with impunity is unacceptable” he said.
  “Stealing is a sin and to steal from those who have less or nothing, is even more sinful,” he said.
He also said that his government is non-confrontational, respecting the separation of powers, rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression, and will be taking the necessary corrective steps so that the excesses and irregularities that occurred during the previous administration and the past electoral campaign will never happen again. “
SPECULATION CURBED
He said that since July 1 the government curbed speculation in food and Panamanian families managed to save over $50 a month with emergency control prices of 22 basic food products.
On the Basic Health Project, said the project has been tendered 11, 648 “solutions” that will benefit 57,000 people. And “In the coming months of this year we are going to tender for expanding the Sewage Treatment Plant” he said.