"Conéctate" Denies Mishandling of Funds

(Source) Within the administration of the program "Conéctate al Conocimiento" (Connect to Knowledge) there no fraud, poorly handled funds, or nepotism; and on the contrary the program has been managed within the parameters of transparency demanded by the United Nations Development Program, according to Julio Escobar and Gaspar Tarté, the Secretaries of SENACYT and Governmental Innovation, respectively. Escobar and Tarté, held a press conference in the presidency yesterday to members of the Panamanian press. Escobar explained that contracts have been awarded following practices and established procedures for public bids and that there is no legal mechanism preventing any company from participating in these administrative procedures, since to do so would be arbitrary, illegal and discriminatory, as specified in Panamá Compra and by the PNUD. (more)

Editor's Comment: Here's what's going on - The Conéctate al Conocimiento (Connect to Knowledge) program in Panama has been one of the most successful and important innovations for Panamanian education in a generation. The Panamanian government, through SENACYT and the office of Government Innovation, have placed Internet-connected computer labs in 700 schools throughout the country. We're talking literally thousands of brand new working computers with live and active Internet connections to allow students in public schools in even some of the most remote parts of the country the opportunity to learn about things like email, for example. The initiative for this program came from the government of Panama and the administration of Martin Torrijos but at this point they are trying to make the program less government and more like a non governmental organization. Right now it can be loosely classified as a "quasi" governmental organization in transition (if that helps.)

Tough Nut To Crack: Sticking Internet connected computers into remote public schools is a pretty hard task, especially considering that the minute you turn your back the kids get in there and things start to break. Also, with these computers worth about $800 bucks a pop there has been some theft. In once case they found a guy who had managed to break into a school who taken about half of the computers. They were found in his house, recovered, and reinstalled in the school. I mean, how much of a scumbag to you have to be to steal these computers? This program is helping very poor kids in remote areas, and it's a big effort.

Multilock Doors: As part of the program the design specifics for the computer rooms include steel security doors and bars on the windows to try to protect the equipment being installed. The program lets contracts to providers who to the renovation on a room or area in the school, improves security for that area, installs air conditioning, and installs the computers. The program is designed to do the best they can within difficult conditions in remote areas.

Bad Press: La Prensa ran two stories negative to the program on 24 and 25 September 2008 based primarily on leaked internal email. The officers of the program held a meeting with the reporter, who then turned around and fired off another negative report this week. In fact it seems like La Prensa is going after this program and trying to paint it with a broad brush, alleging corruption, mismanagement, and nepotism. This press conference was in direct response to the articles which appeared in La Prensa.

Cousin or No Cousin: Anyone can participate in a public bidding process in Panama. If it just so happens that I have a friend or relative in government, then I am not prevented from participating, and the government is not prevented from giving me the contract.

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He also assured that, under these parameters, Metro Painting Inc. won the public bids for eight school projects in Panama and that in all cases they have performed satisfactorily, denying the existence of some kind of influence peddling or corruption for the degree of kinship between the representatives of this company and the secretary of Governmental Innovation.

“Minister Gaspar Tarté does not control, does not sign, nor does he participate in the process of acquisitions of contractors, goods, or services of the `Conéctate al Conocimiento´ project," he said.

Meanwhile, Gaspar Tarté categorically denied the information published in the newspaper La Prensa, that according to him are hostile, intentionally distorted his statements and took them out of context, damaging one of the most important projects for Panamanian education.

“It is lamentable that they attack this project and the honor of my person, of my family and my mother," he declared while saying he was astonished by this attack which has been mounted against the Secretariat of Innovation, an organization that from its beginning has managed to be transparent with regards to public management.

He maintained that, although the Secretariat of Governmental Innovation is connected to all public organizations, it does not lead or control the contracts let by these organizations.

Both civil servants invited journalists to visit the schools that have been included in the program mainly so they can see the benefits that have been obtained with young students.

“Connect to Knowledge" is an education program that has benefited more than 250,000 children in 700 public schools, establishing bases for the development of a generation that can compete at a world-wide level, and that has placed in the last global index of competitiveness of of the World Economic Forum located Panama as the second most competitive country in Latin America, second only to Chile.

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA

jueves, 09 de octubre de 2008

No existe fraude ni mal manejo de fondos en programa “Conéctate al Conocimiento”

El programa “Conéctate al Conocimiento” no refleja fraude, ni mal manejo de fondos, ni nepotismo, por el contrario, se ha manejado bajo los parámetros de transparencia exigidos por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD), aseguraron Julio Escobar y Gaspar Tarté, secretarios de SENACYT y de Innovación Gubernamental, respectivamente.

Julio Escobar y Gaspar Tarté, secretarios de SENACYT y de Innovación Gubernamental, respectivamente, ofrecieron en la Presidencia una conferencia de prensa a los medios de comunicación.

Escobar explicó que todas las contrataciones se ciñen a los procedimientos de licitación pública y que no existe mecanismo legal para impedir a ninguna empresa participar en estos actos administrativos, ya que hacerlo sería arbitrario, ilegal y discriminatorio, como está consignado en PanamáCompra y por el PNUD.

Aseguró también que, bajo estos parámetros, Metro Painting Inc. ganó las licitaciones públicas de 8 proyectos en escuelas de nuestro país y que en todos los casos ha entregado a satisfacción la obra, desmintiendo que existiera algún tipo de tráfico de influencias o corrupción por el grado de parentesco entre los representantes de esta empresa y el secretario de Innovación Gubernamental.

“El ministro Gaspar Tarté no controla, no firma, ni participa en los procesos de adquisiciones de contratistas, bienes o servicios del proyecto `Conéctate al Conocimiento´”, dijo.

Mientras, Gaspar Tarté desmintió categóricamente la información publicada en el diario La Prensa y que, según el funcionario, es malintencionada al tergiversar sus declaraciones sacándolo de contexto y asegurar que lucra de uno de los proyectos más importantes en la educación panameña.

“Es lamentable que se ataque a este proyecto y la honorabilidad de mi persona, de mi familia y mi madre”, manifestó al asombrarse del ataque que se ha montado contra la Secretaría de Innovación, entidad que desde su inicio ha logrado transparentar la gestión pública.

Sostuvo que, a pesar de que la Secretaría de Innovación Gubernamental está ligada a todas las entidades públicas, no lidera las contrataciones que éstas hagan.

Ambos funcionarios invitaron a los representantes de los medios de comunicación a visitar las escuelas incluidas en el programa para determinar los beneficios que se han logrado, principalmente con jóvenes estudiantes.

“Conéctate al Conocimiento” es un programa pedagógico que ha dado oportunidades de crecer a más de 250 mil niños del país de 700 escuelas oficiales, sentando las bases para el surgimiento de una generación competitiva a nivel mundial y que ha repercutido en el último índice global de competitividad del Foro Económico Mundial (FEM), que ubica a Panamá como el segundo país más competitivo de América, sólo por debajo de Chile.