Business Chamber blasts government fat cats

The serious ecnomic crisis that Panama is undergoing is the result of the forced closure of companies and the establishment of restrictive measures of freedom with serious consequences when the State does not have checks or balances, much less harmonious collaboration to manage the economy in an orderly manner said  Panama’s Chamber of Commerce (CCIAP) ,on   Sunday.

It added that The silence of the Supreme Court in resolving the protections of guarantees presented with respect to civil rights in the state of emergency has struck “a certain blow to the rule of law and left an entire country defenseless.” .

For the organization,   ” the classification of “essential” and “non-essential” activities “unacceptable because, in private companies, every collaborator is essential.

“Having already, for months, a firm understanding of the sanitary measures necessary to prevent the spread of the virus (masks, face shields, distancing, hand washing, etc. members of the private sector are prevented from supporting their families and paying salaries to their collaborators for more than 10 months when they develop it responsibly and implement all the necessary sanitary measures, ” while the administration shelters behind the comfort and safety of state salaries’

According to the CCIAP, in the crisis, the public sector “is far from being in the same boat” as the private sector. Therefore, it is imperative and urgent to reduce public spending according to income, especially the reduction in working hours for officials who are not in the first line of defense against Covid-19, which would generate savings to grant support for the thousands of suspended employees and companies affected by the closure of activities.

“Acquiring debt to pay for operations without a cost control plan is equivalent to mortgaging the future of the next generations. The State must also be supportive ”, assured the organization.

Finally, the CCIAP stated that “Panama and its people cannot endure one more closure, each closed day increases the deterioration of the country’s economy and decreases the ability to feed our families.” “We have the right to mobilize to be able to go to our jobs and open our companies with the duty to follow biosecurity measures,” the letter added.