canal expansion

Canal committee keeps to itself

A committee of seven was appointed to oversee contracts awarded for the Canal expansion.

Political leaders have called for the group to report on the work they have been doing.

Carlos Lemos/la prensa

Progress: The Canal expansion project is estimated to cost $5.25 billion and is expected to be complete by 2014.990681

One year after an ad hoc committee was charged with overseeing contracts for the Canal expansion project, some politicians are complaining about the lack of information it has provided to the public concerning its activities. Although the committee is not required by law to report publicly on its work, Asamblea Nacional deputy Jose Blandon believes it should do so anyway "because they are not there on their own behalf but on behalf of all Panamanians. "

"The committee has not shared information with the Assembly on the results of the work they are doing. There does not appear to be strict control over what is happening with the expansion," Blandon said.Frank Lima, who has been designated by the Cambio Democrático party to follow the expansion project without being a member of the committee, says he has thus for not seen a single benefit emerge from the womb of the committee, which makes it a "decorative" body.

Asamblea deputy Mireya Lasso has also noted that the outcome of the committee's meetings have never been made public. The Asamblea's representative, Gilberto Guardía, reported that he has had at least four meetings to learn about reports from the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP), but added that he does not have to make a report to the Assembly. Marco Allen, representative of the Consejo Nacional de Trabajadores Organizados, said they had some doubts and concerns about the irregular call for meetings once the committee began working. He also said that they were not given information about the employment contracts that had been awarded. But both issues have been resolved, he added.