Panama Canal Vice President on Changing the System

The payment collection system for vessels transiting the Panama Canal has proven its effectiveness over 25 years of operation, and there is currently no need to change it, said Boris Moreno, the operational vice president of the canal, in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"We do not see the need to change the system because it has been working well for over 25 years," Moreno stated.

According to the vice president of the Panama Canal Authority, the process of setting canal tolls, based on the vessel's tonnage, is confirmed by the canal's board and the country's cabinet following public hearings. All potential clients of the channel can come to Panama for hearings and express their agreement or disagreement with the proposal. As Moreno notes, these "opinions are taken into account."

In terms of military vessels, only two countries in the world benefit from the right to free passage through the Panama Canal. In addition to the United States, Panama has an agreement with Colombia known as the Montteria Agreement, which grants Colombian naval ships preferential passage; however, all countries, without exception, pay the same tolls.