Civic and business organizations rejected the increase in funds, by more than 600%, in three budget items used to hire personnel managed by the deputies of the National Assembly (AN) .

These are items 02 (temporary staff); 080 (trusted staff) and 172 (professional services contracts), which went from $ 5 million in 2014 to $ 81 million in 2017, increase “disproportionate” and discordant with the functions of the AN, warned the Panamanian Association of Business Executives ( Apede) .

The Executive has made available to the Legislature some $ 221 million of 2014 to date in the budgets of the AN for these three items, which are independent of that of permanent or permanent staff of the institution.

“Once the circuital items are eliminated, these increases are generated in these three forms. What does it mean? That the circuital parties simply changed their name, and that the funds, under another name, are being used for the same purposes that were reproached by all Panamanians, “said Héctor Cotes , president of Apede.

An investigation by La Prensa showed that a large part of the contracts for professional services were false, and that 90% of their amounts were returned to the deputies, hence the contracts have been baptized as cash back.

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https://impresa.prensa.com/panorama/Inedita-desproporcionado-contrataciones-AN_0_5025997453.html