OFF THE CUFF: More of the same from current leaders?

PANAMA  is stuck  in the same twisted furrow ploughed during the preceding administration according to political observers .

In Nvember 2015, President Juan Carlos Varela announced the elimination of the National Assistance Program (PAN) and the creation of the Directorate of Social Assistance (DAS), a move scoffed at by critics who likened it to a shell game.

Between July 2014 and December 2015, the PAN submitted some $125 million in contracts for approval by the comptroller says a La Prensa investigation

Those payments included multiple checks written to the same companies for under $300,000, which some have called a clear attempt to circumvent controls on legislative oversight. That’s because PAN Director Rafael Stanziola could award contracts for under $300,000 at his own discretion, while contracts greater than that amount need legislative approval.

About $3.4 million in those purchases were made by the Ministry of Housing for the “Roofs of Hope” program, which is now under investigation.

Stanziola has claimed that many of these contracts were the continuation of programs started by his predecessor, Rafael Guardia, who is currently in jail on corruption charges.

But critics have said that there are clearly instances where contracts were divided into parts of less than $300,000 to avoid any oversight reports La Prensa.

These included payments for projects such as the installation of Christmas decorations and the construction of a regional headquarters for the Ministry of Public Works.

Between July 2014 and December 2015, the PAN submitted some $125 million in contracts for approval by the comptroller.

Those payments included multiple checks written to the same companies for under $300,000, which some have called a clear attempt to circumvent controls on legislative oversight. That’s because PAN Director Rafael Stanziola could award contracts for under $300,000 at his own discretion, while contracts greater than that amount need legislative approval.

About $3.4 million in those purchases were made by the Ministry of Housing for the “Roofs of Hope” program, which is now under investigation.

Stanziola has claimed that many of these contracts were the continuation of programs started by his predecessor, Rafael Guardia, who is currently in jaile on corruption charges.

But critics have said that there are clearly instances where contracts were divided into parts of less than $300,000 to avoid any oversight. These included payments for projects such as the installation of Christmas decorations, by a company now under investigation for tax fraud, and the construction of a regional headquarters for the Ministry of Public Works.