A new $15 million university campus in Panama sits empty and nearly finished, awaiting final approval from government auditors. The San Miguelito Regional University Center, a project of the University of Panama, has reached 98 percent completion but remains closed to students due to bureaucratic delays. University officials are now appealing directly to President Jose Raul Mulino for intervention to open the advanced facilities.
Legal advisor Miguel Delgado confirmed the standstill stems from two pending addendums that require approval from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. These documents are essential for releasing the final funds and authorizing the project’s official handover. The center was originally scheduled to open its doors in July 2024, a deadline that has now passed without a new inauguration date.
State of the Art Campus Awaits Students
The completed infrastructure represents a significant academic investment for the centro regional. Fourteen modern buildings now stand ready, including five dedicated to classrooms and a 500-seat auditorium. Delgado detailed the extensive facilities that include twenty specialized laboratories, multiple gymnasiums, and expansive sports areas. This new campus is poised to become one of the most advanced educational facilities in the entire country, rivaling both public and private institutions.
The university has formally requested President Mulino’s support to finalize the delivery and inauguration of this important work for the San Miguelito District. [Translated from Spanish]
Only minor finishing work remains according to project managers. The campus needs complementary equipment and upgrades to its wastewater systems. These final touches cannot proceed without the comptroller’s approval on the pending contract modifications.
Financial and Operational Strain Continues
While the new campus remains vacant, the university continues operating from a temporary location in La Gran Estacion de San Miguelito. This arrangement costs the institution over 15,000 Balboas in monthly rent, funds that could otherwise support educational programs. Students and faculty must make do with limited facilities that lack the specialized laboratories and modern classrooms of the completed campus.
Construction on the new regional university center began back in 2019 following budget allocation during former President Ricardo Martinelli’s administration. The project has moved forward through multiple government transitions, now facing its final bureaucratic hurdle. Community members have expressed growing frustration as they watch the finished buildings sit unused while educational opportunities remain constrained.
University administrators emphasize they have done everything within their power to move the process forward. All construction milestones have been met on schedule until this final approval stage. The delay now rests entirely with the comptroller’s office, which must review and approve the contract addendums before any equipment can be installed or students can occupy the buildings.
Local leaders hope the presidential intervention will break the logjam. They argue that further delays only increase costs and deny San Miguelito residents access to quality higher education facilities. The community has waited years for this project, watching it rise from an empty lot to a nearly complete academic complex.
No timeline has been provided for when the comptroller’s office might issue its decision. University officials remain cautiously optimistic that with presidential attention, the matter can be resolved quickly. They are prepared to move forward immediately once they receive the necessary approvals, potentially opening the campus within weeks rather than months.
The situation highlights the challenges of public infrastructure projects in Panama, where even nearly complete facilities can stall in the final stages. For the students and faculty of the San Miguelito Regional University Center, the wait continues as their future campus stands ready just beyond reach.