News
Thursday 31st October 2024.
October 30, 2024
The National Assembly approved in the second debate Bill No. 143, which dictates the general State budget for 2025, a figure that amounts to $30,111 million.
The legislative initiative had 45 votes in favor: the deputies of the ruling party Realizing Goals (RM), the Democratic Revolutionary Party, Democratic Change (CD) and the mixed bench.
He obtained 25 votes against: the 20 from the independent Vamos bench, the three from the Otro Camino Movement; Patsy Lee, from the Popular Party; and Francisco Panchito Brea, from the Panameñista Party.
Shortly before approving the document, several deputies, including Benicio Robinson and Raphael Buchanan of the PRD, introduced modifications to the project regarding representation expenses for local governments and budget hearings.
Article 298 of the project, regarding representation expenses of officials, was modified to provide this benefit to mayors and district representatives. “Basically, it was made very clear that regardless of who pays them, they will have their representation expenses,” explained independent deputy Roberto Zúñiga to this media outlet. Zúñiga rejected these changes, as did his colleagues from Vamos.
They also amended Article 337, so that the budget hearings that officials must support are mandatory before the first debate on the draft general state budget. In addition, it establishes that all heads of entities are obliged to appear in court to support their budget.
Carlos Tito Afú, who returned to the legislature with the elections of May 5, complained that his province, Los Santos, will not receive large resources for the next year. In the “detailed [budget] of my province, the Ministry of Public Works has zero; education: zero; health: zero,” he said.
After Afú, Raphael Buchanan , from the PRD , spoke . The deputy from circuit 8-6, recalled the circumstances under which the budget was debated: it was delivered late, violating laws, with “own goals.” He directed darts at Minister Felipe Chapman : “a lot of experience in the private sector but little experience in public affairs.”
However, Chapman was not present at the plenary session when he spoke. He was replaced by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Fausto Fernández, and other ministry officials.
On Tuesday night, October 29, Chapman explained that the budget that the government of PRD member Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024) had prepared was over $37 billion. “ We received a budget that was really alien to the well-being of the Panamanian people. Building a budget takes many months (…),” he said.
The Panamanian Association of Business Executives (Apede) expressed on Wednesday, October 30, its “deep concern” over the discussion of the bill that dictates the general state budget for 2025 under conditions “very far from responsible fiscal management aligned with the economic reality of the country.”
According to the business association, the bill, which is currently in its second debate in the National Assembly, presents “serious structural problems” that cannot be ignored.
He explained that one of the main flaws lies in the special laws that grant automatic increases and that assign percentages of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to certain sectors without considering that there is no fiscal capacity to cope with it, so “more debt must be used.”
“It is imperative that we reflect on why the responsible authorities have not taken the necessary measures to avoid putting the well-being of present and future generations at risk,” he said.
Apede pointed out that the Assembly could not consider suspending, for a certain time, the effects of these automatic increases and the special laws, as it did with the contributions to the Panama Savings Fund (FAP) .
According to the organization, this last measure would allow the restoration of public finances and the recovery of the risk rating, which is crucial for economic stability and investor confidence.
“Not having done so has already brought us serious consequences, such as the fall of Panamanian bonds in the face of the aforementioned budget, placing them among the worst positions in emerging markets,” he added. “The country has lost,” he said.
Apede recommended that the Assembly return the bill to a first debate, as requested by independent deputies, in order to have the opportunity to evaluate the use of the money of each institution and for the Executive to make the necessary adjustments.
Immigration authorities in Panama and Costa Rica are seeking to strengthen operational actions carried out in the border sector between the two countries.
On Tuesday, October 29, the director of the National Migration Service , Roger Mojica Rivera, met with the head of Migration and Immigration of Costa Rica, Marta Vindas , in order to evaluate migration issues and coordinate common operational actions.
The bilateral meeting took place at the Integrated Control Center in Darizara, Costa Rica, with the purpose of following up on the security issues addressed at the working table during the ministerial meeting between both nations, which took place on September 14 within the framework of the Binational Border Commission.
The procedures for integrated land border control at the migration level were also analysed, as was the analysis of the current scenario of irregular migration flows, and the strengthening of ties of cooperation and exchange of information.
In addition, the working teams of both governments agreed to take the first steps to update and adapt the Migration Agreement signed by both institutions, which has been in force since September 2011.
The National Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office managed to capture three people allegedly involved in the robbery of $385 thousand in jewelry and valuables that were in the customs section of terminal two of the Tocumen International Airport, which took place on September 21.
Through “Operation Securities,” which took place in the province of Colón and the district of San Miguelito, electronic equipment and documents linking them to the crime were seized.
Among those arrested are two people with criminal records for aggravated robbery, theft and drug possession.
It was not reported whether any clothing or valuables stolen during the robbery at the customs facilities were recovered.
The robbery against the customs facilities took place in the early hours of September 21, when two men in customs uniforms, traveling in a vehicle with yellow stripes, managed to subdue the officials on duty, gagged them and took clothing and valuables.
According to investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, it is evident that the theft could have been committed by persons who were familiar with the storage process of valuables kept in customs.
Through several surveillance videos, the Public Prosecutor’s Office was able to identify one of the alleged suspects. Details provided by several witnesses were also useful in locating the suspects.
Authorities are also investigating whether the attackers had the collaboration of officials working at the airport.
In 2021, a group of armed men carried out a robbery at the cargo terminal of Tocumen Airport, from which they stole $1.5 million in used bills destined for the United States.
On that occasion, the attackers also used uniforms similar to the security team and a vehicle with distinctive markings similar to those patrolling the airport terminal.
Those who work on holidays will be entitled to receive a surcharge. The Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel) reminded that all private sector workers who work on November 3, 5, 10 and 28, 2024 must receive a surcharge of 150% on the salary of the regular work day.
This is established in article 49 of the Labor Code .
According to the ministry, national holidays or mourning days are mandatory days off and, therefore, the worker who works his or her respective workday must receive this additional payment. In addition, said worker will be entitled to be granted another day of rest per week as compensation.
This year 2024, November 3 and 10 fall on a Sunday, so the day off is transferred to Monday, November 4 and 11, respectively.
In these cases, the Ministry of Labor recalled, the rule establishes that if the national holiday or mourning day falls on a Sunday, the mandatory day of rest will be the following Monday. This means that Monday, November 4 and November 11, 2024 will be considered a day off, so the worker who works on those Mondays must receive, in addition to their normal daily salary, a 50% surcharge.
Panama and Colombia announced the reactivation of a binational electrical interconnection project that emerged 15 years ago, and agreed to hold a meeting next December to “define a concrete action plan” in this regard, the National Energy Secretariat (SNE) reported on Wednesday.
The reactivation of the Binational Electric Interconnection Project was decided by the Minister of Energy and Mines of Colombia, Omar Andrés Camacho, and the Secretary of Energy of Panama, Juan Manuel Urriola, within the framework of the IX Energy Week of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) that is being held in Asunción, Paraguay, the Panamanian secretariat said in a statement.
The binational electrical interconnection, a line of about 500 kilometers and 400 megawatts of power, is a project worth at least 500 million dollars that dates back to 2009, but has not advanced due to lack of capital and problems in the technical and socio-environmental aspects, according to available information.
“This project, which faced delays for years, is now being resumed with the aim of taking advantage of the benefits of a shared infrastructure and moving towards a more sustainable and diversified energy matrix,” the Panamanian statement said.
With the support of OLADE and the commitment of both governments, the letter adds, “the Interconnection between Panama and Colombia not only seeks to improve the energy infrastructure of each country, but also to consolidate a vision of integration that strengthens development and energy stability in Latin America.”
he National Energy Secretariat announced on Wednesday the new fuel prices, which will take effect starting Friday, November 1.
According to the price table released by the energy authority, 95-octane gasoline will be sold at $0.88 per liter ($3.34 per gallon) and 91-octane gasoline at $0.84 per liter ($3.20 per gallon).
Low-sulfur diesel, on the other hand, will cost $0.79 per liter ($2.99 per gallon).
The new fuel prices will take effect at 6:00 am on Friday, November 1, until 5:59 am on Friday, November 15, 2024.