President Mulino highlighted challenges such as mining, water security, and education as topics that will require analysis with public policies and decisions that prioritize the benefit of the majority of Panamanians. During the ceremony for the inauguration of Aurelio Barría Pino at the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), President Mulino emphasized the 9% annual growth in tourism, 4.4% in the country's economy, expansion in the logistics sector, and job generation, allowing for order in the country. This achievement, highlighted Mulino, accompanied by the First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino, is possible due to the unity of all sectors that believe in investment and a culture of work, from a government administration without corruption, with a team that does not overstep its bounds, properly investing the resources of Panamanians that has made it possible to rescue many abandoned works. He stressed that the country needs more transparency and not to leave investments lying around, losing thousands of employees due to a bad agreement made by a government. On the contrary, he said, one must seek progress, even if the cost of not finishing a hospital, a stadium, or a school is now incomprehensible. "We must be correct, it hurts to pay more and see how the tunnel and bridge works became more expensive," he commented, followed by the question of "what is the option," if we continue to discuss for more years, point out bad officials, or leave thousands of citizens in the West Panama area stuck in traffic because the works were not expedited. In this regard, progress has been made from 0% to 30% in the construction of the Fourth Bridge, and it was achieved that the Panama Tunnel Borer passes under the Canal and reaches Balboa. Among other projects, he mentioned the recovery of the Inter-American Highway, both for the East and the West. This good management, he added, is reinforced by the actions taken at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, where there was no improvisation, and with 7,000 direct jobs at stake, responsibility was allowed, enabling both ports to operate well, operated by world-class companies with Panamanian labor. He reaffirmed that the country must look forward, learn, and not repeat mistakes, where Justice must do its job and the Executive must manage and lay the foundations for development, with a nation with more CAF forums, more EXPOCOMER and world-class events, and fewer roadblocks. "The country grows with work and with innovation, that is why the need for a new education law to fight against inequality that deepens if we have an obsolete public education, and a modern private one. We have to equalize upwards, that is the challenge," he concluded. The protocol act began with the farewell message of the outgoing president of the chamber of commerce, Juan Arias, who in turn swore in Barría to preside over the Board of Directors for the period 2026-2027. Barría, in his speech, highlighted the joint work with the government and that his year will focus on four pillars that include promoting the internship law to open opportunities for young people, facilitating the path to the formalization of entrepreneurs, and boosting the country's exposure platforms, consolidating Panama in the events tourism. He also recognized the positive steps of the government in fiscal matters, the reforms to the Social Security System (CSS) and the budget management.
