Inquiry into ‘consultation’ process for $40 million market

The Mesa Ciudadana organization has called on The National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai) to initiate an investigation into the citizen consultation that was carried out for the construction of the seafood market.

The public consultation was organized by the Municipality of Panama in November 2020, at the community board of Calidonia and 22 people participated.

The project of the new seafood market will cost between $40 and $50 million and on February 15 the Municipal Council of Panama approved to call the tender for the construction of the work, which will be located on the Cinta Costera, in Calidonia.

The organization issued a statement on Monday in which it expresses its rejection of the construction of the new seafood market, a project managed by the mayor of Panama City, José Luis Fábrega.

Similarly, the organization raises its opposition to the construction of other markets that have been proposed by the administration of the Mayor.

“We demand that the municipal authorities stop the progress of the process for the construction of the markets until the constitutional provisions and the law are complied with, which support the obligation of prior citizen consultations,” says the statement.

Mesa Ciudadana asks the municipal authorities to comply with the laws and the Constitution, in relation to the principles of transparency, accountability and efficient mechanisms for citizen participation.