Panama tender suspended

Gavin Lipsith

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Airport authority Tocumen has halted its retail tender at Panama City International airport following pressure from local duty-free operators

The tender for duty-free at Panama City International airport has been suspended following concerns voiced by local duty-free operators at a meeting with airport authority Tocumen at the beginning of the month (DFNI November 15). The airport authority said that suspension will allow it to study "scientifically" each of the observations made by the companies interested in the tender.
 
The Panamanian government has also confirmed its interest in guaranteeing the transparency of the whole tender process and said it hoped to provide foreign and local companies with clear rules of how to proceed with the open tender. Local companies had pressed the authorities to admit the possibility of more than one duty-free operator, to ensure price competition within the airport.
 
The government also confirmed that deputy minister of finance, Orcila V de Constable, would take the place of Rolando Mirones as president of the executive board of Tocumen.