By Deivis Eliecer Cerrud for the Panama America - Masses of concrete continue rising in Panama City. As of 28 December 2007 there have been 1,901 construction permits granted in the city. As of October 2007 there were 1,234 permits granted (indicating a sharp rise in the last three months of the year.) City planners criticized the explosion of construction and growth, saying that the government officials are not thinking about the effect on the environment, since drainage systems to handle sewer and runoff waters are over tasked. In Bella Vista, San Francisco, and Ancon buildings higher that 22 floors are going up. Most of the apartments are sold before construction starts.

Luzdecor is one of the largest lighting companies in Panama City. Located on Calle 50, we have a wide selection of all kinds of lighting fixtures. Our lighting design experts can help you pick and choose the right solution for your needs. We have all available technologies and can find the right mix of solutions for any space or situation. We import and export lighting fixtures through the Colon Free Trade zone, and can provide any level of quality merchandise; high-end one of a kind pieces, to large volume solutions for construction projects. We also specialize in technical and colorized lighting. New lighting fixtures arrive continuously. Modern Italian fixtures are available as well as classic Crystal chandeliers. Wall sconces and flush mounted ceiling fixtures are plentiful in addition to a full line of bathroom vanity fixtures. Tiffany table lamps are a very popular solution for hard to decorate areas.

By Santiago Cumbrera for the Panama America - Fines impsoed by the Municipal Office of Construction on different construction sites for failing to meet safety and security norms are going to fill more of the government coffers. The numbers are a faithful reflection of this situation. In the first semester of this year the organization has collected more than $500,000 in fines. During the first six months of last year they collected only $161,000 in comparison. The frequency and amounts of fines have increased substancially in response to complaints of construction workers according to statistics of the Municipality of Panama. In the month of June 2007 alone more than $159,000 was collected in fines, about the same amount that was collected in the first trimester of last year. The fines were imposed because some construction sites did not have safety nets in place to prevent falls. So far this year the office has conducted 9,800 inspections at construction sites around Panama City, resulting in 364 fines being imposed in the first trimester of 2007. In the first six months of the year the organization issued 953 construction permits, 1,088 permissions, and 2,016 occupation permits.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Last Thursday four construction workers died on the job at the construction site of the tower San Francisco 7400. They were working in an excavation pit to install a foundation that was more than three meters deep when the walls caved in, burying them. Two were uncovered and taken to the hospital where they later died, and two others died on the scene. The following day on Friday morning the construction workers who were mourning the loss of their co-workers physically threw labor representatives from the SUNTRACS construction workers union off of the job site, saying "the only thing those guys care about is collecting their labor union dues." So, it appears that the Tower 7400 job site was not a SUNTRACS organized site, but no matter. SUNTRACS has said they are going to hold nation wide strikes anyway to protest the deaths of the workers. Be prepared for more traffic jams this week.

Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. As usual, go ahead and use whatever you want as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By Elizabeth Alveo Miranda for El Siglo - The deaths of four construction workers last Thursday has caused authorities involved in issues of workplace security to accelerate their discussions of a new regulation that would impose new safety and security measures for the construction sector, said Labor Minister Reynaldo Rivera, who reminded that the report on this tragic accident will be released next week. During a meeting yesterday between representatives from the Fire Department, the Municipality of Panama City, the Office of Social Security and the Ministry of Labor, Rivera said they are working to put into effect a regulation that has been in discussion since the year 2000, but the parties involved have never come to an agreement. This regulation includes subjects related to the safety and health of construction workers, but to accelerate the work they have created three sub-commissions to analyze the technical aspects, explained the minister, who said that by mid-August it could be in the hands of President Torrijos to determine if he will put in into effect as an Executive Decree or if he will send it to the the National Assembly to be discussed as a proposal for a new law.

Luzdecor, one of the largest lighting companies in Panama, is having a large clearance sale starting today. They are expecting a large shipment of new lighting fixtures and need to make some room in the warehouses. Any reasonable offer will be accepted on those fixtures selected for liquidation. Most of the selected items are Modern Genuine Italian pieces. The articles in the photos below are just some of the items that are part of the "Reasonable Offer” selection. There are many more items that have been selected. In addition, I have included a “Scratch and Incomplete” selection of fixtures that have prices that are ridiculous. Some major Italian items are only $30.00 and the glass alone is worth more. With a little care and cleaning the fixture can be made to look like new again. The sale starts today. Be sure to mention that you read about the sale on Panama Guide. Luzdecor is a long-time sponsor of Panama Guide, whose recent major projects include supplying all of the lighting for the recent expansion of Albrook Mall.

La Prensa - A mechanical breakdown on 12 February in the Cemento Panamá production facility caused supply disruptions in the market, according to a press release from the company. "Once repairs were completed and quality control was established, production resumed on 14 February and we began to work at full capacity to replace the shortfall in production." According to the company, the normal production capacity of the plant is sufficient to meet the normal demand for cement. Housing Minister Balbina Herrera said she would request the cement producers to explain the reasons behind the shortages and the rise in prices.

By Edilsa González Roca for La Prensa - Panama's Housing Minister Balbina Herrera said yesterday the increasing cost of cement and possible material shortages will have a negative impact on some of the low cost housing developments being built by the government. She said that currently there is an increase in costs of 12% to 13% across the board on all projects and pointed out the "Network of Opportunities" project as an example. She said she would be visiting the companies that product cement in Panama to ask them to explain the causes of the shortages and the increases in price for the product.

TVN had a clip last night about a shortage of bags of cement in hardware stores and building material suppliers in and around Panama City. Masons usually like to buy bags of cement "fresh" to reduce chances of the material being damaged by rain or humidity on a job site. The current shortage is forcing some of them to stop work on projects. There are two factories that produce cement in Panama, Cemex which is Mexican owned and Cemento Bayano. TVN contacted the cement companies which said that stocks would return to normal levels after carnival. Recently the government approved price increases but they have not yet been implemented. Because of the shortage some vendors are asking as much as $8.00 per bag. There is a suspicion that the companies are holding back stocks in order to be able to cash in on the higher price. The Consumer Protection Authority announced the launch of an investigation to look into the matter.

(Source) Mexican cement giant Cemex announced that it will begin the construction of a new kiln at its Bayano Plant in Panama. The construction is expected to be completed in 2009. The value of the investment is approximately US$200 million. Current production at the Bayano Plant is approximately 450,000 tons of clinker per year. Following the completion of the project, production will increase by approximately 1.15 million tons of clinker to 1.6 million tons of clinker per year.

"Meet the bright, long- lasting light that you can stick practically anywhere. Solium Press•it Bright White LED Light is bright, white and long-lasting. Better than those big dim incandescent tap lights and easier to use than a flashlight. It's convenient: sticks to most anything, including fabric, leather, plastic and glass - without marring the surface. It's self-adhesive. Just push to turn on and off. Portable - no wires - use it anywhere Adhesive is reusable over and over again and can withstand extreme temperatures (0-120 degrees F) Diameter is 2 5/8", 7/8" in depth Includes 3 AAA batteries" Luzdecor is one of the largest lighting companies in Panama City. Located on Calle 50, we have a wide selection of all kinds of lighting fixtures. Our lighting design experts can help you pick and choose the right solution for your needs.

Alberto Darío Gueva Marciaga became the first construction worker to die on the job in 2007. The 25 year-old fell from 25 feet while working as an assistant welder in a project in France Field near the Cuatro Altos overpass. Darío was diagnosed as being brain-dead and he passed away later in the evening of the day of the accident.

By Mario A. Muñoz for La Prensa - The team of architects and engineers that designed and elaborated the plans to build the Palacio de la Bahia project, a building designed to be 350 meters tall and that would cost more than $160 million dollars to build, said yesterday in a press conference that for financial and economic reasons, the Spanish businessman Adolph Olloqui forced the construction to be suspended. "It is not a coincidence that this month the President of the Spanish bank CaixaGalicia will be arriving in Panama," said Juan Carlos Tapia, who was acting as a spokesman for the Jesus Diaz organization. He went on to say that "there is not a single local bank supporting this project." The architectural firm of Jesus Diaz is demanding payment of $500,000 in professional fees. In addition, the architect Jesus Diaz and structural engineer Oscar Ramirez pointed out that the Office of the Municipal Engineer had fined Olloqui with $42,000 thousand dollars after having determined that they had constructed a perimeter wall using plans that were not approved, and which had not been drawn by the Jesus Diaz Architects S.A. company. "The wall they built was thinner than what we had specified, 50 centimeters as opposed to 60 centimeters. In addition they used a mix of water and cement that is not apt to support the weight of this building, and they used another construction system," said Ramirez. The team denied the position of Olloqui, who last week told La Prensa that the construction of the project was "nonviable, irrealizable and impossible" as it had been designed. Olloqui said they will advance with another design by architect Miguel Lopez Piñeiro.

By Rafael E. Berrocal R. for La Prensa - Construction companies that have won contracts to work on government projects are reaching the limits of their operational capacity due to the high demand in both the public and private construction sectors. The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is starting to feel the effects of the problem. In four different projects the MOP had to exercise their legal rights ensure the projects are completed. As a result, none of these companies will be able to return to bid with the MOP, further reducing the supply of potential builders. In other cases the MOP found that contractors move their equipment from one project to another, causing delays. "There is already a problem which can not be ignored," said MOP Minister Benjamín Colamarco. In order to reduce the frequency of breached contracts and late deliveries the MOP is considering allowing foreign companies to bid on infrastructure projects. The president of the Panamanian Construction Board Javier Cardoze, said that the Panamanian national industry still has the capacity to meet the demand, and he rejected the idea of opening up participation to foreign companies.

Would you be shocked to learn that Panamanian high rise construction workers are doing a lot of the work without safety gear? Every now and then someone gets killed after falling from several stories up. The union workers will inevitably complain that the company does not provide the right equipment. The company will respond that "of course they do." Inspectors from the municipality will come down and do an inspection and determine that everything is in order. What really happens is that the workers have the gear available and they choose not to use it. Work supervisors and foremen that are up in the buildings do not force the workers to use the available gear because following procedure "slows them down." I went on top of a building recently to get some area shots and happened to take a few pictures of a building under construction. The guys who were building frames for the columns of the corners of the building caught my eye, and that's when I noticed that they were not using safety harnesses. And, I know for a fact that this is a SUNTRACS site, and that these guys are working under the CAPAC agreement, that they have the equipment on the site (I've seen it) and they are simply not using it by choice. (See photos below.)

(Source: Panama America) The chief of SINAPROC Roberto Velasquez Abood and the municipal engineer of Panama Jaime Salas said in a press conference that that the inhabitants of Boca la Caja are exposing themselves to great danger by constructing houses over the water. This month there are very high tides reaching as much as 18'. "There are several people who insist on living there inspite of the risk." Velasques said that "when these people get flooded out, they will be the first ones looking to the government to resolve their problems, even after they have ignored warnings for years." Salas said that municipal employees carry out inspections in the area to detect and stop building projects that are too close to the water which fail to fulfill the municipal codes regulating this type of activity. The people who are living in these houses will never be able to obtain title on the land they occupy, which is exactly what they have been told by the Ministry of Housing. Salas called upon the residents of Boca la Caja to be aware of the high degree of risk to which they are exposed, and asked them to collaborate with authorities to jointly reach an agreement to have a safe place where to live.

(Source: La Prensa) The face of the Balboa Avenue is changing quickly. Land values are rising with the blink of an eye. Legendary locations such as La Cascada, the Casa del Marisco, and the Boulevard Balboa have yielded their enviable locations to modern and imposing structures and very deep pockets. And offers continue to rain down on the six-kilometer long stretch road that has public parks, green areas, and the promise of a cleaner Bay of Panama. "Foreigners want to invest on the front line, and Balboa Avenue is number one in Panama right now", said Ricardo Tribaldos, of Tribaldos Real Estate Corp. "All of the projects are being sold". The fight for position is evident and is reflected in the prices being paid for land. Venezuelan petrodollars, capital flight from Colombia and other countries is once again finding Panama as a safe port and driving up land values. Two years ago a square square meter in the zone was being sold for $800 to $900 dollars. Today that same land has tripled in value and now the asking price is between $2,500 to $3,000 per meter, accoding to Tribaldos. (more)

(Source: Panama America) The projects that will be constructed in Panama in the next few years will stimulate foreign migration according to the consultant company Indesa. Their study indicated that mega-projects such as the plan to expand the Panama Canal, to build the mega-port or to expand activities at Howard will not cause downward pressure on wages. Rather, those projects will have a tendency to create pressure to raise wages for workers who are involved in those projects. The mega-projects will also have an effect on the informal economy, indirect sectors, and services. The study clarifies that foreign immigrants will be more likely to work in jobs that are created as indirect offshoots from the projects rather than jobs created directly from the investments.

Question: I purchased a house in Panama last year and want to do some outside patio work. Am having difficulty finding the names of stores that sell patio tile to check out on the web. Can you help? Bob

Answer: Sure. Check out the Casa de Materiales, Comasa, Chochez, Elmec, Hopsa, and of course Luzdecor if you need lamps or lighting. Hope this helps.

(Source: Capital Financiero) By Sherly Díaz: The cement market in Panama for 2005 was more than 1 million metric tons and is projected to show an increase of at least 20% by the end of 2006. This fast growth of demand has prompted cement companies to make new investments to increase their production capacity to meet the demand. Statistics from the Panamanian Chamber of Construction (CAPAC) show that 290,359 metric tons of cement was produced during the first three months of 2006 and in this same period of time another 282,683 cubic meters of premixed concrete was also produced. Increases in real estate development, construction of new skyscrapers, the possible expansion of the Panama Canal, and the Nevertheless, the increasing real estate development by means of the construction of skyscraper, the possible extension of the Panama Canal and government's intention to build new port and harbor facilities shows that construction and growth will continue and with it there will be an increase in the demand for cement and premixed concrete. Cemex and Cemento Panama are making new investments to be better prepared to face the future demand. The Mexican company Cemex has invested almost $180 million in 12 years of operation in Panama.

Every now and then I run into someone who does a great job for a good price, is responsive and responsible. I just had Eduardo Cobas (6607-4843) do some plumbing work for me. He did an excellent job, on time and on target. He's working with Jorge (J.B.) Bloise (6618-4435) who is out of the country right now, working on a gig in the Bahamas or something. Anyway, these guys turned out to be the right fix, and are recommended for and little residential plumbing job you might need done. I had them extened a gas line, install a new on-demand hot water heater, fix some leaks, stuff like that. Cheap. Tell them "Mr. Don" sent you.

Panamanian President Martín Torrijos installed a new commission yesterday, tasked to verify the procedures for the approval of plans and permits for construction. The commission, formed by members of the Government and the construction sector, is tasked to promote construction in Panama, and to clarify Panama's national interests to Panamanian and International investors who are interested in investing in Panama. The Panamanian Institute of Architecture and Urbanism estimates that in the next five years more than $10 billion dollars will be invested in construction.

There has been some discussion lately about the cost of electricity in Panama. In general it has been running at about $.13 cents per KwH. According to conventional wisdom, the rates for electiricty vary depending on where you live. The story goes that you pay more if you live in an upper class "expensive" area and less if you live in a lower class or "poor" area. I am in the process of verfying that one, but it's generally considered to be true. The other rumor is that Panama has the third-highest rates for electricity in the world. Well, that one is just wrong. Below are some international states from the Energy Information Administration. The chart got "crunched" but it's readable. Panama is on the high end of the scale at $.13 cents per KwH, but there are many others that are higher. Austria at .17, Barbados at .18, Cuba at .13, Denmark at .28, the DR at .15, France at .14, Germany at .17, Grenada at .22, Guatemala at .15, Ireland at .17, Italy at .19, Jamaica at .18 (you get the point.)