BRIEFS: Transportation

Audit planned for corredor sur company

After several requests by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP), it appears as though the Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas (MEF) is going to audit ICA Panama, the company which built the Corredor Sur.

The MOP has requested this audit three times, the latest one being made in April. In June, the MEF responded that it was organizing a team to carry out the audit.

ICA Panama has a contract with the government to collect tolls until it can regain the money it spent building the road, plus a premium. Once it has recouped its investment, the road will be turned over to the government.

The audit would be the first conducted since 1996.

The company needs to collect an estimated $307 million in tolls to fulfill its contract.