Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (Cciap) has called on the government to take urgent action to address the water problems that have sparked citizen protests and highway closures in Panama West in recent weeks.                                                                                                                                                                                The chamber points out that the protests in West Panama last week and the historical demands of various communities in different parts of the country due to lack of water in their homes, led them to raise, once again, the call to the authorities on the urgency of comprehensively address the most pressing needs of citizens.

They point out that road closures, while causing discomfort to many, also negatively affect the country's economy.

"It is inexcusable that in the 21st century, there are areas of the country, including urban communities, that do not have access to water on a regular basis; Panama being a country with so much water resources, exuberant vegetation and in which it rains most of the year.

"According to experts in the matter, the lack of water can be classified as the result of weak governance in the area of drinking water and sanitation, where the different actors: Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan), Ministry of Health (Minsa ) and the Public Services Authority (ASEP) have not been able to fully perform their roles, with Idaan being the institution that continues to exercise the roles of planner, rector, and service provider, assuming the role of judge and party in a system that for many, it provides inefficient services, and where the governments on duty have focused on proposing bills that contradict the functions of the actors”,

Political interference
Cciap indicates that these inefficiencies are added to the fact that the interference of politics has not allowed the Idaan to function properly.

 It recalled that its document “Country Agenda 2019 - 2024," posed to the presidential candidates the challenge of having a public company with true political, administrative autonomy and financial, and legal structure, that facilitates the development of the investment plan and an adequate operation for the management, distribution, and supply of drinking water.

This recommendation translates into a radical transformation of the Idaan that manages to timely resolve the growing demand for water of our population, and a strengthening of policies and regulations of the ASEP in its supervisory functions, and of the Minsa in terms of sanitation and hygiene of the waters; so that everyone can make coordinated decisions regarding public services.

“The current government administration is in time to take steps to solve the drinking water problem. In the same way, we commit future administrations to prioritize the issue, although we are aware that the abandonment of so many years requires a solution that will take time.