Panama's National Decentralization Authority Monitors $186M Projects

Citizens should also be vigilant to ensure all projects are successfully completed, as the funds have been allocated and approvals have been granted. Another mechanism is in place to ensure process transparency and community participation. Méndez stated that all approved projects are on the authority's website and accessible to the public. This is arduous work carried out to provide transparency and results to the communities that expect it. Last year, over 1,000 public consultations were held with the participation of 80,000 people. Maintaining this pace, a full audit of all projects would take over two years. Regarding public consultations, the AND has also exercised control to ensure that participants are actually from the communities where the projects will be implemented. "This is hard work, but the important thing is that a clear message has been sent: these funds are for the population, for their well-being, and that's what we're seeing—projects focused on water, energy, roadways, and sports infrastructure that our youth need," highlighted the director of the Decentralization Authority. To ensure the proper execution of the works, 150 inspections are carried out per month to monitor their progress. Roxana Méndez, director of the AND, reported that 1,330 municipal and communal board workers have been trained to formulate these projects correctly. "With a single click, they can find their communal board or the district they want and access information on the amount allocated and the projects that have been approved," said the official. In addition, the prosecutor's office is requesting a large number of official documents, and in recent months, over 500 documents have been delivered in response. There are more than 600 files, and Méndez said they are in the final stage. Méndez assured that there is no discretion and that projects are handled as they are submitted, for which a digital process is available. This process, which initially involves the General Comptroller's Office with an audit, has not yet concluded. "We have controls and then we have field monitoring to see the progress of the work," she stated. Criminal Proceedings. Another exhaustive task carried out by the AND is to cooperate with the Public Ministry in the investigation of the so-called Parallel Decentralization. The National Decentralization Authority (AND) has authorized the execution of 4,780 projects with decentralization funds amounting to $186 million. It is not easy.