Panama’s economic revival to begin in May


News from Panama / Wednesday, May 6th, 2020

Panama’s President Laurentino Cortizo announced yesterday that domestic economic revival could begin in May with the lifting of restrictions on some businesses and industries in an attempt to ease a wave of popular protests.

 

On an intervention via the radio and television chain, the president also explained that there are protocols to resume normality in the country, if the contagion rate (Rt) allows it; the index rose in recent days, which health authorities believed was due to some relaxation of social isolation.

Cortizo also announced that from this Thursday the beneficiaries of the 80 dollar-voucher from the Panama Solidarity program will be able to use their identity cards as debit cards to purchase food and medicine in at least 300 establishments belonging to 13 supermarket chains and pharmacies.

The known ‘Solidarity Card’ will allow some 84,000 people to have temporary financial aid, having no income because their workplaces are detained and also those involved in informal work, which abruptly interrupted due to the mandatory quarantine.

The president also referred to the massive criticism for revelations of crimes of alleged corruption linked to public officials and affirmed that the government works for life in these moments of health crisis, but purchases must be made with transparency.

To that end, Cortizo instructed that on the the Ministry of the Presidency’s website issued, ‘real purchases, with real bills’ and other institutions should also do the same.

He said that authorities should avoid the scenario where patients overcrowd the health system and not have equipment available to everyone as happened in other countries, ‘I don’t want to live that here, because it would be a pain that would take me to my grave,’ he assured.

For two days, popular protests have increased with the closure of streets, highways and the construction of barricades with burning tires in at least four provinces of the country, mainly on humble neighborhoods in the capital, demanding for food and aid to be able to remain in quarantine.

Since the start of the food aid and monetary value bonds program, an army of volunteers has been working to fill food bags and distribute them to the most humble and vulnerable sectors of the population, but the lack of an efficient neighborhood structure thwarted even the moment to cover all those people in need.

Source: La Prensa
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