This assistance will be requested to guarantee the transparency and effectiveness of the process, which is why this plan is being worked on so that this audit is self-financing and that the Panamanian government does not have to assume any cost.
Given the imminent audit of the Cobre Panamá mine that will possibly begin next week, the Minister of Commerce and Industries, Julio Moltó, indicated that there is a strategic plan that includes the request for assistance from institutions of international prestige, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to prepare the terms of reference and ensure the participation of a recognized international company in the audit.
Located in Donoso, province of Colón, the Cobre Panamá project began in 2020 with a private investment of more than US$6 billion in which foreign investors from countries such as the United States, Canada, South Korea, Australia, as well as Europe participate. and Asia.
Moltó highlighted that this assistance will be requested to guarantee the transparency and effectiveness of the process, which is why this plan is being worked on so that this audit is self-financing and that the Panamanian government does not have to assume any cost.
"We are trying to ensure that the audit is done correctly and that the government does not have to put in a single dollar," the Minister stated.
"In addition, we are integrating environmental aspects to obtain all the information necessary for our analysis."
On the other hand, the Minister also mentioned that decisions on the management of copper concentrate will be made progressively, so he asks for patience, as President José Raúl Mulino has said, “we have only been in our positions for 24 days and we are taking making the right decisions, making sure we do things right," he said.
He also said there is a maintenance plan for the mine that needs to be approved, and detailed accounting of available copper material is crucial.
"We need to know what is there, when it was extracted and how much it is worth, this will allow us to proceed appropriately, taking the necessary time without overdoing it, to avoid any environmental danger," Moltó explained.
