Panama City’s municipality is drawing 10 unique bidders for $17 million in urban renewal works at Plaza 5 de Mayo, Avenida 3 de Noviembre and Calle Estudiante. The projects aim to improve walkability, public space, drainage and transport connections in the city center.
Panama’s child poverty crisis drew strong attention during the Cita Eucarística, where leaders were urged to treat it as a national debt. The message linked child protection, public accountability, and the country’s long-term future.
The Panama Canal closed the first half of fiscal 2026 with 6,284 high-draft transits, led by strong growth in LNG and container traffic. Higher reservation demand and heavy use of the Neopanamax locks point to sustained pressure on canal capacity.
A new study shows 35% of Panama’s children live in poverty and 16% in extreme poverty, with indigenous comarcas facing the country’s harshest conditions. Officials say better-targeted social policy is needed to close widening territorial gaps.
Panama’s government is seeking $561,724 for a consultancy to build the financial model for the Panama–David railway, a key step in its feasibility study. Lawmakers questioned prior spending on the project as officials defended the new budget request.