OPINION: The Ministry of Public Disaster

What happened with the abbreviated tender that the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) called two years ago to repair a landslide in the province of Coclé is a manual for doing things wrong.

The public act by invitation seems to have been only a formality to fill the requirements of the law since the documents show that the beneficiary company was chosen before it even presented its financial offer; overnight, the work went from costing $1.3 million to $6.3 million; the public act was granted to a company whose owners are donors to the current president’s presidential campaign; There was no evaluation committee, but the company was chosen by a single official; a year in advance, there were warnings that a landslide could occur, This is why the processing of a change in the contract of the company responsible for the works was pending, but it was never executed.

In short, it is clear that the current MOP administration does not even serve to patch up the streets; the way the ministry is managed is a complete disaster, but the president, who seems to have irrevocable commitments to some members of his cabinet, does not hear, does not see or is unable to make decisions. – LA PRENSA, Nov. 9