Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Mapping out the future of Panama City’s metro system
Disgraced former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli took office in 2009 with the clear objective of developing a metro system for Panama City – the first of its kind in Central America.
When the project started to take shape, the original master plan envisioned four lines for the system by 2035. After the former secretariat of the metro became the state-owned company and system operator Metro de Panama in 2013, the plans for the system also became more ambitious and more lines were included in the master plan.
In 2017, Metro de Panamá launched a tender to carry out a pre-feasibility study on a new master plan. Financed with a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the study was aimed at examining the viability of the design and location of the metro lines and stations proposed in the master plan, particularly regarding the future lines No. 2A, 4 and 5.
Source: BN Americas
Panama says withdrawing flag from tanker towed to Iran, cites violations.
Panama’s maritime authority said on Saturday it had begun the process of withdrawing the registration of an oil tanker called MT Riah, which was towed to Iran after it disappeared from ship tracking maps in the Strait of Hormuz on July 14.
Panama began the flag withdrawal process on Friday after an investigation determined the tanker had “deliberately violated international regulations” by not reporting any unusual situation, the authority said in a statement.
“We roundly condemn the use of Panamanian flagged ships for illicit activities,” the authority said in a statement.
Panama, which has the largest shipping fleet in the world, has recently withdrawn flags from dozens of vessels, some of which were operated by Iran.
Source: Reuters
Panama to ban single-use plastic bags in commercial premises.
Panama will ban the use of plastic shopping bags in commercial premises, becoming the first Central American country to have such bans, a local media outlet reported Friday.
From July 20, retailers and customers in Panama can only use recyclable shopping bags in local supermarkets, retailers and pharmacies, said Panamanian newspaper La Prensa.
A total of 174 officials from the country’s consumer protection authority Acodeco will check on Saturday across the country to see how the ban is being carried out, it said, adding that fines collected will be used to fund recycling and teaching programs.
Source: Xinhua Net
Why “Green Season” is Still a Great Time of Year to Visit Panama
Panama is a tropical country with a tropical climate, and that means that throughout the year, the weather is pretty predictable. While some may laugh at that assessment (often, it can rain out of nowhere), the “predictable” part of the weather is that during “green season” it rains, and during “dry season” rain is rare.
Panama City may not be renowned for its museums, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great ones out there. Panama City is home to the Biodiversity Museum, which can be a full day activity of exploring the country’s flora and fauna, in one of the most unique (Frank Gehry designed) structures in all of Latin America. You can also check out the Canal museum at the Miraflores Locks, or the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo. Take in some history, and get to know Panama’s people, and nature, all just a few minutes away from the center of Panama City.
