Mayor of David Inaugurates Christmas Lighting Before Tendering

The mayor of David, Chiriquí province, Joaquín De León, inaugurated the Christmas lights on the night of Tuesday, December 10, at an event in the Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Park.  The event featured artists and fireworks. The lighting covered the Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Park, Las Madres Park and the Simón Bolívar cultural plaza.  De León inaugurated the lighting system one day before the public tender he called on November 29 for the project to supply, rent, install and assemble light bulbs for a cost of $299,000.  The mayor explained that an approval ceremony was held on December 2, where two important requirements were established: 100% financing of the work and the company’s experience. 

“This approval meeting was important to determine which company wanted to participate and if it was willing to carry out the lighting at its own expense, because the Mayor’s Office does not currently have the resources, but it does have a financial plan starting in 2025 with the new income that will come in in January,” he said.  He said that at that meeting they raised the issue of the importance of the municipality making that investment “to boost the economy” of the district.  “That can be done (by having the company finance the project) through Circular 19, which is a procedure established by the Comptroller General’s Office, in which you can acquire a service on credit that you can pay later,” he said.  The only company that attended this approval event, according to the minutes of the meeting of the Municipality of David, was Coprogevi, SA, whose representative is Jonathan Manuel Guerra Vigil.  Initially, the municipality had contracted Dislumbra, SA directly for almost $300,000 for the supply, rental, installation and assembly of the lights. But days later, without giving any explanation, the mayor cancelled the contract. Instead, he decided to call for a public tender.