In face of corruption and scandals Business Chamber  demands open budget

Corruption cases and scandals regularly uncovered in Panama confirm that transparency, accountability, and the rule of law are far from the ideal of a democratic system says the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (Cciap).

The organization promotes that the country, as a member of the Alliance for Open Government, complies with the commitments made, before the international community, through the IV National Action Plan for Open Government.

For the Cciap, it is relevant to move to the Open Budget model, in which the Panamanian State, through the Ministry of Economy and Finance  is “committed to incorporate best practices when preparing and evaluating budget management.” These practices include finding ways to allow citizen participation in budgeting, publishing a budget to citizens, and conducting a mid-year review of the running budget in 2023.

“Citizens are tired and disappointed to see how the State budgets are developed and distributed, always with political criteria, which do not respond to the needs of investment and national development,” the group stressed. “It is immoral and frustrating to see how state entities inflate payrolls without any explanation, while they neglect public investment,” it said in its Sunday message.

The Chamber recalled that Panamanian citizens have the duty to pay taxes and respect the law, but also “we have the right to demand that those who govern us respect the commitments made to provide Panama with an Open Government.”