This Sunday, January 2, the first batch with 60 thousand doses of the pediatric vaccine against covid-19, for minors between 5 and 11 years old, will arrive at the Tocumen International Airport at 11:15 pm, the president announced of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, in his report to the country.
Panama has received to date a total of 9,091,470 doses of the anticovid vaccines, of which more than 6,297,894 doses have been applied, to have 81.4% of the target population over 12 years of age with the two doses
The president recalled that, due to the advancement of the vaccination strategy, they managed to modify the waiting time for the third booster dose, which went from 6 to 3 months, between the second and third doses.
Cortizo said that the omicron variant is gaining ground, which is why he urged the population not to lower their guard.
He recalled that, since January 21, 2021, 88.2% of those who died from covid-19 in the country did not have the complete vaccination scheme and urged the population to go to any of the 105 vaccination centers that are in the country.
Face-to-face classes
Following the 2022 school calendar, the President of the Republic announced in his report to the country that the next school year will be face-to-face, which is scheduled to begin on March 7.
“For the start of classes in face-to-face mode on March 7, it is necessary that the members of the educational family, students, teachers and parents, do our part, so that our children and young people continue the mission of learning”, the president highlighted in his report to the Legislature.
In educational matters, from July to December 2021, the National Government has built 156 new classrooms and replaced 61 ranch classrooms. 19 new educational centers have been delivered, while 145 are under execution. Connectivity was also improved in 321 schools with fiber optic services and the pilot plan to install the LTE service in hard-to-reach educational centers was started.
At the end of 2021, 57% of the country’s official educational centers were already connected to the internet.
He pointed out that after the result of the Regional Comparative Explanatory Study, ERCE, of August 2019, the great challenge is to begin to reverse the diagnosed deficiencies.
“(That) after these two years, our children and young people can meet again with their friends and teachers, to continue the mission of learning“, said the president.
Infrastructure works for health
During his management report to the deputies of the National Assembly, President Cortizo mentioned that he also approved and committed to various infrastructure projects to strengthen the country.
“I take this opportunity to announce that my administration has committed to the beginning of the construction of the new headquarters of the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing of the University of Panama, a long-awaited project“, said the president.
And I add: “This government has already started construction work on the new Children’s Hospital. With an investment of $ 443.8 million, the new hospital will have a capacity for 476 beds and will have 14 operating rooms. The work will generate, in its construction phase, 1,000 new direct jobs“.
Since November 15, the Government authorized the restart of construction and equipment works in the City of Health, which will generate more than 5,000 direct jobs. “A work that should never have stopped,” stressed the president.
Economic growth
The president highlighted that, until the third quarter of 2021, the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Comptroller General of the Republic, Panama achieved an economic growth of 14.9%, leading growth in the region and marking one of the highest recoveries Worldwide.
The president highlighted that the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) also projects that Panama will lead the list of economic growth for 2022.
This is due to the fact that international economic organizations positively recognize the management of the Panamanian economy during the health crisis.
Some of them, such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank for Latin America (CAF), have made the decision to establish their regional headquarters in Panama, he stressed.
Aid and social programs
Since the pandemic began, according to Cortizo, the National Government has maintained social contributions to the most vulnerable population, by providing subsidies or financial aid to mitigate the most pressing needs, aggravated by the health crisis during the 22 months of the pandemic. .
According to the presidential speech, the disbursements made from July to December 2021 are as follows:
- Conditional Cash Transfer Program, $ 112 million for 191,373 beneficiaries;
- Red de Oportunidades Program, $ 12.6 million for 41,900 people;
- Program 120 at 65, 88.1 million for 120,287 beneficiaries;
- Guardian Angel Program, $ 9.2 million among 19,107 people;
- National Program for Nutrition, 2.4 million for 8,079 people.
Through the Panama Solidario Plan, the Government also provided aid for a total of $ 442.7 million in Digital Vouchers, which represented a total of 3,689,563 digital vouchers; while, for bags with solidarity food, $ 54.6 million was allocated, which allowed the delivery of 2,098,814 bags.
On the subject of energy subsidy
During the second semester of 2021, the energy subsidies assumed by the State were:
- Rate Stabilization Fund, $ 24.3 million for 867 thousand users;
- Western Rate Fund, $ 9 million for 172 thousand;
- Extra Rate Stabilization Fund for covid-19, $ 53 million for 1,117,694 users;
- Subsidy for liquefied gas (25-pound tank), $ 71 million for 748 thousand users.
Scholarship program
In his speech, President Cortizo highlighted that in July 2019 there were 35,000 students with competition scholarships, and in 2020 that number increased to 50,000 students.
“In 2021, even in the midst of the pandemic and despite the economic reality of the country, we benefited 75 thousand students at all levels of education, breaking all the scholarship figures previously awarded,” he said.
With the PASE-U Law, formerly known as the Universal Scholarship, approved by the Assembly, today more than 100,000 students benefit from the double benefit of the Distinguished Position, Sports, Culture, People with Disabilities and Competition Scholarship programs, honoring the academic excellence of our students, something historic and unprecedented.
The scholarship program has disbursed $ 574.5 million for the benefit of 1,013,327 Panamanian students, which are broken down as follows:
- $ 109 million for 136,914 scholarships from the general excellence contest;
- $ 443.9 million, for 859,227 Pass-U scholarships;
- $ 16.6 million, for scholarships for the 11,446 students with distinguished and master’s positions;
- $ 171,577, for 143 outstanding students in the cultural area;
- $ 4.7 million, for Financial Aid for 5,533 students with disabilities;
- $ 59,290, for 64 students with athletic scholarships.
Bicentennial Pact
The president also stated that after summoning Panamanians to the Closing Gaps Bicentennial Pact, on November 26, 2020 and installing on December 20, 2021, the High-Level Commission to follow-up, he will soon announce the national agreements.
During this month of January 2022, the government will announce the actions with which the current administration seeks to close the inequality gaps in the country contemplated in 187 national agreements and in which more than 186 thousand citizens participated.
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