Since August this year, at least 22 public institutions went to the Panamá purchasing portal to get gift certificates totaling over $6million to distribute among their staff as a Christmas gift.

The news comes at a time of rising criticism of government overstaffing and underperforming.

The most ostentatious purchase was made by Mi Bus which spent  $4,063 000. Mi Bus has over 4,000 employees. This would amount to approximately $1,000 dollars per person reports La Prensa.

The purchase was awarded to the company Business Incentive System on October 5.

The handouts were spread across the civil service from The Ministry of the Presidency to Sanitation.