Panama President Mulino has Confidence that the Bioethanol Project will be Approved Within a ‘Reasonable Timeframe for the Benefit of All’

Panama City: The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, confirmed that the bioethanol project presented by the Executive Branch continues its legislative process and could be approved in a reasonable period of time, after passing its first debate in the National Assembly.  “This is a project that, although it comes from the Executive branch, is moving on to the second (debate) and can, within a reasonable period of time, be approved for the benefit of all,” the president stated.  Mulino stressed the importance of the initiative following its normal course in the Legislative Body. 

When questioned about the mandatory nature of the project, the president emphasized delegating the technical aspects to specialized authorities. “I’m not an expert on that. I’m being very honest with you,” Mulino stated.  President Mulino took the opportunity to clarify a key concept regarding the implementation of bioethanol in the country. “It already comes mixed in. In other words, it’s not like you go to the gas pump and pour ethanol from one nozzle and gasoline from the other. It’s already mixed into the fuel,” he explained.  Mulino reiterated that it is up to the technical teams in the energy sector to delve into the operational details of the initiative. “Let the technicians talk about that; that’s the most important thing,” he added.