In 2019, the perception of corruption in public institutions increased in all countries of the region except Costa Rica, where it remained the same as in 2018.
As has been the case in recent years, Nicaragua's public sector continues to be perceived as the most corrupt in the region (transparency level 22 on a scale of 0 to 100), followed by Guatemala (26), Honduras (26), Dominican Republic (28), El Salvador (34), Panama (36), and Costa Rica (56).
The Dominican Republic, Panama and Honduras are the nations in the region where the majority of the population believes that corruption in governmentinstitutions has increased in the last twelve months.
The report "Barómetro Global de la Corrupción: América Latina y El Caribe 2019 - Opiniones y Experiencias de los ciudadanos en materia de corrupción" (Global Corruption Barometer: Latin America and the Caribbean 2019 - Opinions and Experiences of Citizens on Corruption), compiled by Transparency International and published on September 23, 2019, evaluated the perception of corruption in the countries of the region and some aspects of insecurity.
From July 1, the second increase in the minimum hourly wage for construction workers in Panama comes into effect, which occurs in a context of considerable decline in the sector's activity.
The increase is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement CAPAC-Suntracs, whose negotiation ended a strike that in 2018 lasted more than 30 days. According to official figures at the end of the first four months of 2019, the cost of new construction, additions and repairs fell 28% compared to the same period in 2018.
During last year, the Panamanian state spent $3.925 million in salaries to public officials, 8% more than what was reported in 2017, a rise that is explained by the year on year increases reported in the first months of 2018.
Figures from the General Comptroller of the Republic detail that between 2017 and 2018, spending on salaries for public employees increased $298 million, going from $3.627 million to $3.925 million.
In 2018, the perception of corruption in public institutions increased in all countries in the region, except Panama, where it remained the same as in 2017, and El Salvador, where it slightly decreased.
As in previous years, Nicaragua's public sector continues to be considered the most corrupt in the region (level of transparency 25 on a scale of 0 to 100), followed by Guatemala (27), Honduras (29), El Salvador (35), Panama (37), and Costa Rica (56).
The determination of how much and how the minimum wage should be regulated, something that occasionally seems to be done in an arbitrary manner and for political purposes, continues to be one of the factors that most confront Central American businessmen and governments.
In Costa Rica, a 3% increase in the minimum wage was approved for 2019; in El Salvador, an increase is expected to be discussed, and in Guatemala, the commission in charge of the issue reported that no increases will be made this year.
The workers of the Panama Customs Precincts and the Colon Free Zone have suspended work since December 6th and could extend the strike for at least one more day.
The strike carried out by officials of the National Customs Authority (ANA) began on December 6th, claiming the payment of a Christmas bonus, salary adjustments and the permanence of temporary workers.
The Panamanian government has spent $2.580 million in salaries for civil servants from January to August this year, 10% more than had been reported in the first eight months of 2017.
According to figures from the Office of the General Comptroller between January and August 2017 and the same period this year, the expenditure on salaries for civil servants increased by $241 million, from $2,339 million to $2,580 million.
Exporters resent the effects of five continuous days of demonstrations, blockades and widespread insecurity on the roads of Costa Rica.
Before the strike, which was started a few days ago by unions representing the country's public institutions, the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (Cadexco) denounced the fact that companies in the sector are facing multiple difficulties in exporting their products.Puerto Moín, the main outlet for exports, is onlyoperating six hours a day, leaving close to 12,000 tons per day unable to be shipped, which is estimated to be equivalent to almost $10 million in daily sales abroad.
Like lemmings running towards a cliff, Costa Rica repeats the kind of actions that underscore the definition of a society incapable of stopping on the road to a terminal crisis.
Between January and June, the Panamanian State disbursed $1.915 billion in salaries to public officials, 12% more than the $1.708 billion reported in the first semester of 2017.
The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic reported that the cumulative gross salary of the Public Sector payroll in June 2018 amounted to $333.3 million, of which $312.2 million corresponds to permanent officials and $21.1 million to interim staff.
The Panamanian State spends $321 million a month on salaries paid to public officials, well above the $209 million spent on this expense four years ago.
Monthly expenditure on public salaries has increased, especially during the Varela administration, as according to figures of the Ministry of Economy and Finance from March 2018, every month $113 million more is paid than in 2014.
In 2017, the perception of corruption in public institutions increased in all of the countries in the region, with the exception of Guatemala and Nicaragua, where it remained the same as in 2016, and in Costa Rica, where it decreased slightly.
The public sector still perceives Nicaragua to be the most corrupt country (transparency level 26 on a scale from 0 to 100), followed by Guatemala (28), Honduras (29), El Salvador (33), Panama (37) and Costa Rica (59).
The total amount disbursed by the government in payment of salaries up until October 2017 was $321 million, 18% more than in the same month in 2016.
According to a report by the Comptroller General of the Republic, a total of 233,111 posts were registered in October of last year, which are divided into 209,173 permanent and 23,938 contingent workers.By sector, 150,414 corresponded to the Central Government and 82,697 to the Decentralized Sector.
A savings fund, housing loans, expenses for recreation and bonuses, scholarships for children, and restaurant services for employees of the state and the monopolist hydrocarbons distributor of Costa Rica, are financed through the prices paid by consumers, even by the poorest.
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