Mayor nixes veto on building permit prices

PANAMA MAYOR José Isabel Blandón  has rejected demands  by developers to veto the increase in building permit prices.

In a Tuesday press conference, Blandón said  that the new rates would apply only to projects worth more than $1 million, and not to all homes.

The increase is already included in the 2017 municipal budget, and is expected to generate an additional $3 million in revenue.

Currently, construction permits bring in just over $4 million per year.

Blandón was accompanied at the press conference by municipal engineer Antonio Docabo, Municipal Council  President Abdiel Sandoya and Bella Vista Representative Ricardo Domínguez, who chairs the Housing Committee.

Blandón said that the increase has been projected for over a year so should not come as a surprise.