Budget committee absentees punishing MiBus users

Delays in funding tranfers by the National Assembly’s budget committee which could not muster a quorum could affect the operations of  Panama’s transportation system warned the manager of the MiBus company, Carlos Sanchez on Friday, November 16.

Speaking on AM News Sánchez said they had requested the transfer of $5 million that would mostly be used for fuel for the 1,400 Metrobus fleet.

“These transfers are for operations, which means that we have to cover deficits that occur.

But the request for the transfer of $5 million  is not the only one that MiBus presented since in the next few days they will return to the commission to support two additional transfers of $4 million

“Since September we warned that there would be a deficit of between $15 and $16 million for fuel to pay tolls, cleaning, and payroll of some new operators.

Sanchez does not understand the reasons why the deputies that make up the Budget Committee decided to deny him the transfers  “What is unfortunate is that after making us wait three and four hours,  they call us, comment and deny the transfers. It’s not fair to the customers.”

The  history of the MiBus company, since  October was “historic with the transportation  of 17.4 million passengers, as a result of the improvement in service” he said

“The success we have had is in trying to serve the citizens and we should not have been affected by the transfer…. When they do these things, they are punishing the users.