Pandemic  “urgent” buys  lack accountability

The scandals generated by the  direct purchase of equipment and supplies in the midst of the  coronavirus pandemic highlights  the need  for  more transparency in purchases  by government says  Carlos Barsallo, of the Panama Chapter  of Transparency International (TI)

From the purchase of respirators and gel to the rejection of the donation of a modular hospital by a Chinese company,  citizens demand greater clarity and control in the management of resources from the Government.

Barsallo said that TI has been reiterating for a long time not only in Panama but in Latin America. “Transparency is here to stay and it is not enough to be publishing isolated data.”

He contends that it is a comprehensive process and it is not just a matter of pursuing the issue of overpricing when cases are published, but that there is an important issue, which is the opportunity to offer and sell the good that needs to be purchased urgently, which means the participation of several companies.

For Barsallo, “direct emergency hiring is a potential focus of corruption and we must attack it beforehand and not react to it as we do almost every week, where there is a process of complaints, catharsis and litany, where everyone knows what he knows. “

He added that, in reality, what little is known is what is published by the media, so he proposes that the method be different and that the government publish everything from the beginning.

He asks that now  we go to the process of accountability to know that everything is in place and the information is reviewed by authorities and citizens.