Panama Roundup: 2024 budget approval, ship rescue, record number of migration
Congress approves 2024 budget
After ten hours of arguments, La Prensa reports that the Panamanian National Assembly approved the 2024 State Budget, which amounts to US$30.69 billion. An initial draft was US$2.06 billion higher, but the government agreed to cuts on salaries and travel expenses. The bill now has to undergo a third round of discussions and voting before it reaches the President’s desk. In the meantime, the opposition urged that health and education budgets be discussed separately, but the proposal was rejected by members of the ruling Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD).
Six rescued after fire in Panamanian cargo vessel
According to La Prensa, six crew members of the Panamanian ship Guana were rescued by the Spanish “Hope of the Sea” vessel and transported to the port of Brest. The other 14 members of the ship were evacuated by helicopter. The Panamanian ship suffered a fire while it sailed off the coast of Brittany, in northwestern France, as it sought to carry iron filings to Turkey. GUANA is a general cargo vessel built in 1999, and it sails under the flag of Panama.
515,000 migrants cross Darién jungle in 2023
El Siglo reports that around 515,000 migrants have crossed the Darién jungle in 2023. This figure represents a 107% increase from the 248,000 people who crossed the dense and dangerous jungle, hoping to get to the United States of America. “This journey has cost many lives, including those of women and children,” lamented Samira Gozaine, general director of Panama’s National Migration Service. However, she did not specify how many have perished trying to cross Darién. It is estimated that about 23% of those who have crossed the said jungle are minors.
What Panamanian employers seek as 2024 looms
La Estrella de Panamá reports that Panama’s Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture (CCIAP) conducted a study in which 110 high-profile recruiters gave insights on what they seek in potential employees. A stunning 81% of recruiters said they focus on soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, punctuality, and proactivity. Meanwhile, 19% of recruiters said they prefer candidates with hard skills, such as software and technology proficiency, leadership, speaking a second language, or mathematic knowledge. Adolfo Fábrega, President of Cciap, urged education authorities to update school programmes to meet employers’ standards.
Panama expects to cultivate over 92,000 hectares of rice
Panama’s Ministry of Agriculture (Mida) is planning to plant and cultivate 92,757 hectares of rice throughout the country in the 2024 agricultural cycle, according to La Estrella de Panamá. This represents a 3% increase from 2022 when 90,000 hectares of rice were planted. This program includes the participation of 1,680 producers, as reported by La Estrella de Panamá. Mida expects to harvest over 437,000 metric tonnes of rice. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Panama has one of the highest rates of rice consumption per capita, and despite the impact of the pandemic, they have managed to increase production in hectares and volume during the last three years.
