PRESIDENT Juan Carlos Varela  handed out discretionary payments totalling $5.4 million in the first 90 days of the year, some $60,000 a day  says  a Presidency report.

The presidencia.gob.pa website, shows that, $2 million was allocated to local medical expenses, $100,000 for medical expenses abroad and $978,000 to disaster relief.

In addition, $41,000 was spent on funeral expenses, $144,000 for local educational assistance and another $88,000 for cultural, educational and sports activities abroad.

The report says that for conventions, tours and forums abroad it spent $88,000, and under the same heading

line, but within Panama, $10,000.

Local cultural and sporting activities received $1.8 million. but   the bulk ($1.5 million) was for the purchase of goods delivered to the Social Cabinet that was held in Las Minas de Herrera on March 21.

Varela spent $24.5 million in discretionary funds  between July 2014 and September 2016