Hawkers near transport facilities face fines

STREET VENDORS and hawkers selling at Metro Bus stops or near Metro subway stations will face heavy fines under new rules signed by Panama Mayor, Jose Isabel Blandon.
Among the changes to a 15 year old law, signed by Blandon and published in the Official Gazette, are fines between $ 200 and $ 500.The decree also states people who repeat the practices will see their fines doubled and the city will have the authority to seize their goods.
However, the standard does not establish the perimeter of Metro stations, reports La Prensa, so that it is not clear what distance informal workers should be from the subway
The amendment to the law also establishes fines between $ 100 and $ 500 for hawkers working while intoxicated.
Figures from the General Accounting Office indicate that currently 38 out of every 100 workers in Panama are in the informal economy.