Why “Half-Assing” Anything Costs More Than You Think; $500M Loan for Agro & SMEs; Panamá Innova Funds 42 Projects; Corridor to Protect Manatees.

Friday, December 19, 2025. Why “Half-Assing” Anything Costs More Than You Think There’s a quiet habit that creeps into organizations and personal lives alike—half-assing things.Doing just enough to get by. Winging it instead of preparing. Finishing a task technically, but not properly. The problem isn’t just the task itself.The real danger is what it trains your brain to accept. When you consistently cut corners, you condition yourself to operate at the lowest acceptable standard. That mindset doesn’t stay contained to one project—it spills into everything: decision-making, communication, follow-through, and ultimately, character. Over time, “good enough” becomes the default, and excellence starts to feel optional. From the outside, half-assing is visible. People may not always call it out, but they notice. It erodes trust, damages reputation, and quietly redefines how others perceive your reliability and professionalism. In industries where credibility matters, that’s a price few can afford to pay. The truth is, most half-assed work isn’t caused by laziness—it’s caused by poor preparation. When you don’t plan ahead, don’t clarify expectations, or don’t allocate the right time and resources, you end up scrambling. And scrambling almost always leads to shortcuts. Preparation is the antidote. Professionals who consistently deliver quality work do a few simple things differently: Completing a task fully—the right way—isn’t about perfectionism. It’s about respect: for the work, for the client, for the team, and for yourself. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. Not halfway. Not rushed. Not “good enough.” Because how you do small things is exactly how you’ll be trusted with bigger ones. Brett Mikkelson Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Panama Canal Delivers US$2.965 Billion to the Government of Panama The Panama Canal delivered US$2.965 billion to the National Treasury, corresponding to economic surpluses, transit tonnage fees, and payments for public services provided by the State. The figure is higher than the US$2.470 billion delivered previously, an increase of about US$495 million. The ceremony was held in the province of Colón, at the facilities of the Fleet and Equipment Administration and Maintenance Division on the Atlantic side, where the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, received the contributions to the State from Canal employees, representing the Canal workforce. Following the approval of the Panama Canal’s financial statements for the fiscal year from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, the Board of Directors declared US$2.372 billion as an economic surplus from the operation of the interoceanic waterway. To this amount, US$591 million in tonnage rights payments were added. The direct contributions also include US$2 million for payments related to public services provided by the State. During fiscal year 2025, the return of lake levels to normal conditions made it possible to maintain a 50-foot draft, even during the dry season. As a result, the average daily number of deep-draft transits reached 33, compared to 27 recorded the previous year, which had been affected by the El Niño phenomenon. The event was also attended by the Minister for Canal Affairs, José Ramón Icaza; the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman; the Canal Administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales; and the Deputy Canal Administrator, Ilya Espino de Marotta, among other guests. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE MiAmbiente Assures that Audit of Copper Mine Progresses Satisfactorily The Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente) reported that the comprehensive audit of the Cobre Panamá Mine Project is progressing satisfactorily, fully meeting the established goals and timelines. In this regard, the auditing firm SGS Panamá Control Services Inc. delivered the first progress report, corresponding to the initial phase of the audit process being carried out under its supervision. This report, available on MiAmbiente’s website, documents the activities conducted during the first work period, which focused on interinstitutional coordination, document review, detailed technical structuring of the audit, and the definition of the work methodology in accordance with the established Terms of Reference. Likewise, this first report reiterates that all 370 environmental commitments derived from the Category III Environmental Impact Study (EsIA) will be audited. Annex 1 organizes all of these environmental commitments by number, description, institutional responsibility, and location within the Terms of Reference for verification, ensuring traceability, technical control, and transparency throughout the audit process. At this initial stage, no findings or conclusions are issued, as the audit remains in the information gathering, validation, and analysis phase, prior to the start of field verifications and specialized technical evaluations. In this context, the Ministry of Environment reiterates that the Comprehensive Audit of the Cobre Panamá Mine Project is being conducted under international standards, with technical rigor, independence, transparency, and traceability. Partial and final results will likewise be communicated to the public in due course, as the process advances into subsequent phases. MiAmbiente strictly complies with the publication of environmental information in the country, including that related to the Cobre Panamá Mine, in permanent adherence to the Escazú Agreement on transparency in ecological and environmental management. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Copa Airlines Resumes Flights to Venezuela, but Only to Maracaibo Copa Airlines announced that it will resume air operations between Panama and Venezuela, but only through La Chinita International Airport in Maracaibo, after completing a test flight and determining that operating to that terminal is safe and reliable. According to the airline, this decision is part of its process of evaluating operational alternatives to maintain connectivity for passengers traveling to and from Venezuela, following the temporary suspension of flights to Caracas. Copa explained that the airport in Maracaibo has approach systems that mitigate operational risks associated with possible navigation signal intermittencies. Operations between Panama and Maracaibo will begin with a daily frequency starting Saturday, December 20, 2025. Flight CM703 will depart from Tocumen International Airport at 12:14 p.m. (local time) and arrive at La Chinita International Airport at 2:58 p.m. The return flight, CM713, will depart Maracaibo at 3:58 p.m. and arrive in Panama at 4:46 p.m. Additionally, the airline reported that it continues to strengthen its flight frequencies between Panama and the city of Cúcuta, Colombia, a border location adjacent