Finance Minister raps fund-blocking lawmakers

PANAMA’S Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF), Dulcidio de La Guardia, has called on lawmakers in the National Assembly who have blocked transfers of funds to government departments to stop playing politics and to think of the people.

The minister’s request came after deputies engaged in a power struggle in the Budget Committee denied transfers to some institutions on Tuesday, March 20.

De La Guardia said  that “it is important to separate political differences from  the needs of the Panamanian people”

The Minister reminded the deputies that it is necessary to see the issues are separated and that the needs of the country are met reports La Prensa.

When being transferred, the institutions count on the allocations, which had to be moved for the development of  planned projects.

One of the projects that was stopped with the refusal to transfer the funds was payment of the plans for the construction of the new building of the Gorgas Memorial Institute.

Another was for the insurance policies of the police units.