National Assembly approves Panama plan

Deputies unanimously passed the proposal, put forward by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), on 14 July 2006 and passed a law mandating a national referendum on the expansion plan. This will be held on 22 October. The Assembly’s decision was reached after several rounds of debate, including a public hearing.

The proposed expansion would be the largest project at the Canal since it was originally built. It would allow more traffic by creating a new lane through the construction of a new set of locks and would double the waterway’s capacity. “Expansion would be good for Panama, good for the maritime industry, and good for world trade. Now, the decision rests with the Panamanian people,” said ACP administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta.