Chamber of Commerce: Water is a matter of national priority

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) he called for the urgency of comprehensively solving the pressing needs of citizens, such as the lack of water.

The lack of vital liquid caused protests that took place last week in Western Panama and various communities in different parts of the country.

For the Union, road closures undoubtedly cause discomfort to many and negatively affect the country’s economy, but it should also be understood that it is inexcusable that in the middle of the century XXI there are areas of the country, among these urban areas, that do not have regular access to water; Panama is a country with so many water resources, lush vegetation and where it rains for most of the year.

According to experts in the field, water scarcity can be classified as a result of poor governance in terms of drinking water and sanitation, where various actors: Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan), Ministry of Health (Minsa) and National Administration of Public Services (ASEP) They failed to play their roles to the end.

However, it is idan an institution that continues to play the roles of planner, rector and service provider, taking on the role of judge and party in a system that provides inefficient services for many, and where incumbent governments have focused on proposing laws that contradict the roles of the actors.

The CCIAP he emphasized that in practice the interference of politics did not allow Idaan to function with enough autonomy to develop plans with a short, medium and long-term focus, which prioritize short-term actions that provide relief to the population so that they can notice improvements in the service, working on medium and long-term efforts that create the conditions for a complete offer.

Regarding water and sanitation, CCIAP in its document State Plan 2019-2024he challenged the presidential candidates to have a public company with true political, administrative and financial autonomy, with a legal structure that facilitates the creation of an investment plan and proper functioning for the management, distribution and supply of drinking water.

“This translates into a radical transformation idan which manages to solve in time the increasing demand for water of our population, and strengthening the policies and regulations of ASEP in its supervisory functions, and Minsa in terms of health and hygiene of water; so that everyone can make coordinated decisions about public services”, adds CCIAP.

The entrepreneurs’ union believes that the current state administration took timely steps to solve the problem of drinking water.

Likewise, they oblige future administrations to prioritize this issue, even though they are aware that so many years of giving up require a solution that will take time.

“Today we insist, with obvious urgency, on immediate attention to the basic needs of Panamanians and their full rights. Tomorrow is too late”, they conclude.