From January 13, 2026, the AAUD was authorized — by order of the Executive and on a legal basis — to take charge of the collection, transportation, and final disposal of waste in the district. Signing new private contracts in that scenario, says the Comptroller's Office, created a double service. The Comptroller General of the Republic decided not to endorse the contracts for garbage collection in San Miguelito due to legal, technical, and budgetary inconsistencies. The key point is this: the service was already in the hands of the State. This completely closed any possibility of approving parallel contracts. Signing new contracts under the circumstances, according to the Comptroller's Office, created a double operation: the AAUD collecting garbage and, at the same time, private companies with new contracts. A legal tangle that doesn't pass the filter. In addition, they indicate that during the review serious technical and administrative shortcomings appeared. Companies without mandatory permits from the AAUD itself. Without a current sanitary operating permit, required by decree for activities that directly affect public health. Two operators doing the same thing. A legal clash that cannot be endorsed. Furthermore, the AAUD had already entered nine townships on January 1st for sanitary reasons. Panama secures the release of a detained Panamanian in Venezuela January 16, 2026 Panama registers an inflation of 0.1% in December 2025 January 16, 2026 On the other hand, payments for unauthorized excess tons were detected, without legal backing or an approved budget. Money in the air. With all that on the table, the Comptroller's Office closed the door. There was no endorsement. It was not clear how many tons were going to be collected, how much was going to be paid per month, or when the payments would be made. Essential data that had to be defined from the start and adjusted to the terms of reference. You may be interested MIDES publishes “Há-bla-lo” so that people don't stay silent January 16, 2026 Maritime Chamber of Panama launches Maritime Convention of the Americas January 16, 2026 Comptroller halts garbage contracts in San Miguelito due to irregularities January 16, 2026 Come home! A basic requirement that, simply, was not there. There were also poorly drafted contracts.
