Brett’s Writing Process; Minera Panama Contract Arrives at the National Assembly to Begin Discussion; Electricity Rate in Panama: Will There Be an Increase in Electricity?; MOP Reports on Partial Closure in West Panama; Books you Need to Read.

Friday, August 04, 2023 During the last 5-6 years, I’ve been trying to write a book.  Every time I start on the next segment, I get this little voice in my head telling me that what I’m writing is garbage and I should just give up.  Luckily for me, I don’t NEED to write a book because of some deadline I promised to a publisher or anything like that.  Just the same, I’ve had this task in my head for quite some time and needed the motivation to move forward.  Recently, I spoke with a few people who are in the business of writing, and they’ve all told me the same thing.  “Ignore that voice in your head and finish your book.”  To that, I added, “Yeah, the book may ultimately suck, but at least I got that off my chest!”. So, a quick thank you to those who support my craziness and to those who have specifically told me to keep writing, Keith Long, James Pyle, Shirene Dovey, Hunter Schultz, Max Harari and my very special and ultra supportive Queen, Sayira Mikkelson.  I’m only about 7,000 pages in to the first book and have a goal to write another 15,000-20,000 words per month until finished.  At that rate, I should finish by the end of the year.  In other news, I also started two other books.  There’s a need to get the concept of Loss Prevention out to those who have the word “Security” stuck in their heads.  And the other is about Bullying and how to deal with it.  That subject came up during a call I had with James Pyle and my position where Bullying is Essential to growth.  Being a bully is a cry for help whether consciously or not, and the importance for kids to know how to mitigate bullies they have to deal with in life.  Anyways, I dont want to ruin the rest of it.  If you’re going to hate on me for my thoughts on Bullying, I’d rather you buy the book first and then you can hate me for my comments as well as the fact that it cost you $12.99.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this week’s compilation of news out of Panama. TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Yoli’s Wisdom MINERA PANAMA CONTRACT ARRIVES AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO INITIATE ITS DISCUSSION Contract with Minera Panama arrives at the National Assembly to begin its discussion. For the start of the first debate on the Concession Agreement with Minera Panama, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) officially presented the document to the plenary of the National Assembly (AN) on Thursday, August 3, 2023. The event was attended by Minister Federico Alfaro and the President of the AN, Jaime Vargas. On July 1st, the Assembly installed the new board of directors for this term, responsible for approving or rejecting various bills. The National Assembly cannot modify the articles of the contract with Minera Panama. After the announcement that Minera Panama would continue its operations in the country, the official document was presented to the public for consultation, approved by the Cabinet Council of the National Government, and sent to the General Comptroller’s Office for its review. During this period of discussion in the plenary, the results of the three respective debates are awaited, followed by its transformation into law and the sanction by the President of the Republic. READ HERE: CONTRATO MINERA PANAMÁ LLEGA A LA ASAMBLEA NACIONAL PARA INICIAR SU DISCUSIÓN ELECTRICITY RATES IN PANAMA: WILL THERE BE AN INCREASE OR NOT? Electricity tariff in Panama. The Secretary of Energy, Jorge Rivera Staff, stated that there will be no increase in the electricity tariff for at least 1.2 million regulated customers. However, a total of at least 300 large customers could receive an increase from 14 to 16 dollars per kilowatt per month. The Secretary explained that the tariff schedule for large customers receiving electricity is currently under review. This review is carried out every four years by the National Authority for Public Services (ASEP), and a possible increase has been proposed. “These more than 300 customers nationwide are currently undergoing another process, which is the review of the tariff schedule by ASEP, which is done every 4 years. These are not the adjustments made every 6 months but rather a review of all cost elements and income for the distribution companies. ASEP announces, for the next 4 years, the authorized income with a cap and the efficient costs,” indicated Staff. The Secretary of Energy also mentioned the suspension of the extraordinary COVID-19 subsidy in January, where the government covered up to 50% of the bills, and addressed the variation in fuel prices. “There will be no increase in the electricity tariff in the next six months. The variation in fuel prices is seasonal, and the projection that is made establishes possible increases in that component; however, it depends on the development of contracts,” said Jorge Rivera. READ HERE: TARIFA DE LA LUZ EN PANAMÁ: ¿HABRÁ O NO AUMENTO EN LA ELECTRICIDAD? PANAMANIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS MAKE SURPRISING DISCOVERY IN CHAGRES The recent discoveries in Chagres are a testimony to Panama’s rich cultural history. A pre-Columbian site in the Chagres area, adjacent to the San Lorenzo Castle on the Caribbean coast of Panama, has been discovered by a group of Panamanian archaeologists. The findings include ceramics and stone tools, providing the first evidence of human culture in the region before the arrival of Europeans. Archaeologists Tomás Mendizábal from the Center for Historical, Anthropological, and Cultural Research (CIHAC AIP) and Jean-Sébastien Pourcelot from the Interoceanic Canal Museum led the excavations carried out at the Castle and the Chagres settlement site (both from the Colonial period). The analysis of the excavated materials was performed in the laboratories of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Naos. As the recovered remains were analyzed and categorized, evidence of the Pre-Columbian settlement emerged, which was later established as Chagres. “This was a surprise to us, as