Costa Rican customs offices do not have enough staff to handle the flow of cargo from Panama to the rest of Central America.
While on the Panamanian side there are about 25 people to process documents from carriers, on the Costa Rican side there are only 5 staff members to carry out these duties.
The situation occurs at a time when "the international freight activity going from Paso Canoas to Central America has increased by 50 % ... ", reported Prensa.com. In recent days up to 150 trucks have accumulated, waiting their turn to pass through.
Costa Rican truckers have lifted the blockade which they were holding at Paso Canoas confident that the Panamanian authorities will comply with the agreements signed.
The truckers decided to end the five-day strike held in Paso Canoas and are hoping that the Costa Rican government will not permit them to suffer any more abuses by the State Border Service (SENAFRONT).
An agreement signed between the foreign ministries of Costa Rica and Panama was not enough for the Costa Rican truckers to lift the blockade in Paso Canoas, which has gone on for five days.
Juan Carlos Segura, a spokesman for the carriers, said that the 300 trucks at the border will remain in place because the compromise agreed by the ministers is a joke and does not address the abuses of the State Border Service of Panama (SENAFRONT).
At the border crossing singled out as the slowest in Central America, private sites for carriers could be used to manage customs documents.
According to Abdiel Lezcano, regional director of Customs, this is one of the measures being contemplated, after receiving complaints from hundreds of drivers of trucks transiting the border crossing.
An understanding between authorities in Costa Rica and Panama to facilitate administrative procedures has allowed free passage for hundreds of trucks.
"... It was agreed that in Panama controls will be conducted at reasonable times so that inspections take as little time as possible, there is also a commitment to be able to pay the fines within 30 days or before leaving the country, in this regard there are plans to create a site for paying fines, which can be done by all Central Americans", reported Prensa.com.
Costa Rican Carriers have blocked cargo vehicles from crossing the Costa Rica - Panama border at Paso Canoas, in protest against control procedures by Panamanian officials.
The blockade has lasted five days and involves about a thousand trucks detained on both sides of the border.
The IDB has loaned Costa Rica $80 million to finance the construction, equipping, and improvement of the border crossings of Peñas Blancas, Paso Canoas, Sixaola and Las Tablillas.
According to a statement from the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX), the news was announced by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Anabel Gonzalez, on the morning of 9th January at a public event involving exporters, carriers and representatives of the institutions involved in this initiative.
The Foreign Trade Ministry announced on Wednesday morning a schedule for the "Modernization of border posts for 2013"
ElPaiscr.com reported that "After being abandoned for more than two decades, the border posts with Nicaragua and Panama will be granted to private companies, although $40 million more are required to complete works before closing the deal. The announcement has been prepared for Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Trade, representatives of chambers of commerce, transportation and border municipalities. "
El Paso Canoas border point, linking Costa Rica and Panama, a key site for binational trade, will have an Integrated Control Center, according to a study carried out by the IADB.
At the moment the border crossing suffers from a lack of efficient logistical processes and the current regulatory processes for imports and exports are overloaded.
The customs offices will work together or in adjacent buildings which will not be located exactly at the border, but at the entrance of the territory of each country.
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