Privatization lurks behind the CSS before the disinterest to solve the crisis

  The lack of interest from the authorities in resolving the crisis of the Social Security Fund (CSS), the recommendations of international organizations and the insistence of employers to separate services, warns economists and contributors, who say that what is being sought is to privatize the entity. The fear of this possibility reemerges after the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) recommended appointing seven or nine technicians to assess the situation and seek a solution that would exclude the parties involved: employers and employees. In addition, the director of the Social Security Fund, Alfredo Martiz, said yesterday that "he is not so sure that the dialogue in favor of the CSS will be carried out in this government’s administration." "What we are doing is whatever may be necessary to provide the information so that various players can decide”, said Martiz during a meeting with the members of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP). He added that right now there is a committee made up of four companies working on the actuarial part, which must submit a report in 90 days. However, Néstor Vega Yuil, a member of the CSS board, said that for three years President Juan Carlos Varela has been asked to appoint the third actuary to carry out the financial studies of the Invalidity, Old Age and Death program (IVM). Rafael Chavarría, of the National Council of Organized Workers (Conato), said that the president has no interest in solving the CSS’ problem, because in the time he has left in office he will not take this responsibility on in order not to pay a political price. In addition to the lack of interest in arranging the situation of the institution, after the government asked the UNDP to address the issue of CSS, according to economist Juan Jované, a roadmap has been proposed, through which a diagnosis and proposals for solutions would be made for approximately one year. However, there are those who oppose this alternative such as Vega Yuil, who said that no agency can make such decisions through consultancy. "They are unconsented documents and, especially, as it is being proposed, that would not be the route”, he added. In relation to the IVM program, the president of the CCIAP, Inocencio Galindo De Obarrio, reiterated the proposal of the business guild to study the possibility of separating health services from pension programs. For economist Augusto García, this demonstrates the intention to privatize CSS. Separating pension funds from administrative programs is not viable.