Critics slam $3.7 million Christmas Parade

GOVERNMENT AND CITY spending of a recent $10.4 million budget allocation million for a Christmas parade and museum of Freedom and Human rights is facing strong criticism from media, civil groups and  social media.

La Prensa says the proposals have generated controversy, especially when you take into account that the Mayor of Panama has allocated $3.7 million for a Christmas parade.
Meanwhile says La Prensa there are other museums that are in a poor state and require help, such as the Reina Torres de Arauz, In fact, the National Culture Institute (INAC) is in charge of 46 buildings, including museums and schools, but in 2015 received only $20,000 to repair and maintain them.
For the Museum of Freedom, the government approved $6.7 million.
Ex-comptroller Alvin Weeden said that in a city with so many needs it is not right to spend that amount of money on a parade that will last only two hours.
The current city administration has increased the parade budget from $298,000 to $3.7 million
In 2014,the city used $298 thousand to celebrate the holidays hiring the company Magic Dreams, who designed and built eight floats and two stages.
At that time, Mayor Jose Isabel Blandon stressed that his Christmas parade cost “$100 thousand less” than those organized by his predecessor, Roxana Mendez, who spent $400,000 in 2013.
However, says, in 2015 Blandón decided to hire directly, Distribution and Promotion Rola, S.A, for $3.7 million.
Says La Prensa: “In Panama little t is known of this commercial firm, as it was registered in the Public Registry in August 2014; that is, in the first months of this government. Their managers are Nedelka Quintero (president) and Jissbeth Lewis (Secretary).”
According to the mayor, this company was hired because “it has the backing as a representative of Buena Vista International”. The latter is a subsidiary of Disney says La Prensa.
“The company is licensed by Disney to represent it in the region. We do not impose on Disney who can represent them”, Blandon said.
It was the same firm that conducted the Disney concert for $246,000 on the Cinta Costera last year while a couple of hundred meters away, “Carols by Candlelight run by a small group of volunteers and with local choirs donating their time and raising money for local charities, struggled to compete with the noise from the Disney rehearsal
The way in which the contract was awarded (direct contract) and the high amount have drawn criticism.
The president of Transparency International, Panama Chapter, Ramon Ricardo Arias, said direct contracts should be the exception and not the rule.
For Arias, is “incongruous” that the same day as President, Juan Carlos Varela, attends an event to promote decentralization, a resolution of Cabinet is publicized granting additional credits to mayor of Panama for a Christmas Parade.
For ex-comptroller Carlos Vallarino it is necessary that the Office of the General Comptroller assume its role of watchdog and review every detail of the contract between the City and Rola Distribution and Promotion, S.A.
He added that one of the objections to direct contracting is that there is no point of comparison to verify that the prices relate to reality.