Several of the first more public actions the new President has taken is to go after developers who have not only fallen behind on the concession payments, but also filled in areas of the sea to make marinas and more area for construction on the causeway. Apparently they were allowed to do these major changes to their original concession with the latest administration turning a blind eye. From the comments I have heard, most Panamanians are extremely happy to see this take place. It sends a clear message that the old ways of doing business are over and it is time to play by the rules. As this article points out, the developers may move with litigation, but time and money are on the side of the government. The developers projects and sales are now in jeopardy and no one else will buy in those projects knowing they may never see their money or property for the years it may drag on in the courts. Although several say they want to make deals, considering laws broken and environmental damage, the question is should they even be allowed to do so. I would think the government within its right to sell them off to the highest bidder.
Excerpts: New irregularities surrounding concessions on the Amador Causeway continue to surface as investigators with the Martinelli administration dig deeper into the area long left to the whim of developers that flourished under the previous government's laissez-faire strategy.
Recent Comments