Jaime Jovane: Panama faces serious housing shortage

Panama faces a serious housing shortage, and one of the key challenges remains the lack of necessary social infrastructure in new residential areas, Panama's Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning, Jaime Antonio Jované Castillo, said during a panel discussion at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.

According to the minister, the government is implementing social housing programs through subsidies and the development of housing projects to meet existing needs.

He added that many new residential complexes were built without sufficient basic services: "There are housing projects that lack the necessary infrastructure: drinking water, transportation and road networks, electricity, as well as access to healthcare and education services."

According to Jaime Jované, the state currently faces the challenge of ensuring infrastructure development outpaces housing construction.

"We should ensure that companies and structures responsible for providing basic and social services develop at a faster pace and guarantee a decent quality of life for families," he emphasized.

The minister added that Panamanian authorities are actively working to restore historic districts, particularly Casco Viejo.

"It's important for us not only to preserve historical monuments but also to bring back residents and preserve the social fabric and identity of these districts," he noted.

In particular, according to the minister, the government is implementing projects to improve transportation accessibility in peripheral districts, including by launching a metrocable line in Panama City.

He also announced that a large-scale restoration program is underway in the city of Colon on the country's Atlantic coast.

"The most important thing for us now is to guarantee the development of social infrastructure and avoid repeating the mistakes of the chaotic construction of the past," the minister concluded.