BRIEFS. interior

Barú officials banking on proposed oil refinery

Barú Mayor Franklin Valdés believes that a proposed oil refinery will reverse the economic crisis that has been affecting the district for the past 10 years.

"I have my hopes pinned on the Barú refinery because it will create jobs and bring good economic growth to this area," Valdés said yesterday.

In a recent trip to Panama, Valdés was told that the Occidental Petroleum Corporation will build a new refinery there in March 2008. But no official announcement has been made about the project from either the government or the company.

A new refinery could bring thousands of jobs to the area.

Valdés said he has asked officials at the Instituto Nacional de Capacitación para el Desarrollo Humano in Barú to begin offering courses in masonry, welding and other essential skills so that the region's young people will be able to compete for jobs to build the refinery.