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.
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).
In Costa Rica, a tender is being launched for the execution of orders for the suspension and reconnection of potable water services in the Greater Metropolitan Area, under the modality of delivery on demand.
In the Dominican Republic, consultancy services are being tendered for different projects that are part of the Comprehensive Plan for Urban Intervention and Environmental Rescue.
Although insufficient, the package of government spending containment measures proposed by the Alvarado administration is a good first step on the way forward to resolving Costa Rica's delicate fiscal situation.
The Minister of Finance, Rocio Aguilar, presented before the Legislative Assembly a plan to contain government spending that includes, among other measures, decreeing "...
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 private sector has denounced the government for not convening in the Legislative Assembly bills related to public employment that would eliminate some of the privileges given to public servants.
From a statement issued by the UCCAEP:
December 5, 2016.The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP), is denouncing the government because of the lack of projects related to public employment in the call records drawn up by the executive branch, for special sessions of the Legislature.
The stubbornness of the Solis administration to award a highly technical job to a candidate rejected by employers confirms the importance that this specific person would have in the formulation of public tariffs.
Editor's note:
This review was written hours before the now newly appointed General Regulator of Costa Rica gave notice of his resignation from his position at the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). When announcing his resignation the official said: "There is no legal conflict between the position held in the ICE and my appointment as Controller General, but I make this decision in the interests of transparency which must prevail in my new position." His insistence on the legality of his appointment, an insistence which attempts to justify the anti ethical nature of it, has caused yet more concern over the justice of the decisions to be taken in the exercise of his office. This concern grows when you consider that if he had not resigned, it would have meant mandatory abstention in decisions that involved the company where he held office. Now he will no longer have to abstain.
To fulfill the position of General Comptroller of the Republic the government proposes an official who has worked for more than 20 years in a senior position in the state electricity company.
The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP), has criticized the appointment of Mr.
Plans are underway to build in Panama City a mini city estimated at $4.1 billion, which will include areas for logistics, commerce, residential development and city utilities.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted to the Ministry of Environment in October 2015 by PGC Developers, SA, indicates that the development called "Panama Global City" (PGC), and will be located in the districts of Tocumen, 24 de Diciembre and Pacora, in the district of Panama, Panama Province.
"Civil service careers are influenced by arbitrariness, politicization, patronage, the search for private profit and patronage criteria and with posts being filling up with public servants who do not have the sufficient merits to perform their functions."
From a statement issued by the Salvadoran Foundation for Development (FUSADES), regarding the report The Civil Service and Patronage:
The National Environmental Authority is evaluating creating a concession for food , lodging and transportation services in different protected areas visited by tourists.
This project involves the evaluation of each protected area with the goal of creating a regulation based on the characteristics of each site. The concessions will be made for places that record the most affluence, including the Metropolitan National Park and Chagres National Park in the central area. Other popular places are Volcan Baru National Park in Chiriqui and Sarigua National Park in Herrera, among others.
The government announced that it will construct the stations at 80 kilometer intervals along the Pan American Highway and they will feature restaurants, parking and small stores.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP):
A competition entitled "GovernArt: The Art of Good Government" makes clear the teachings on how creativity in management and the use of technology can eliminate the odyssey of public procedures.
From a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB):
Three innovative processes conducted by subnational governments to improve management procedures for citizens and businesses are described in this technical article.
Recognized Brazilian company of backhoe loaders, telescopic, articulated and other types of cranes looking for companies interested in representing the brand and distributing their machinery in Central America and Mexico. The company manufactures and sells telescopic,...