News
Thursday 3rd October 2024.
October 2, 2024
Discussions continue at the roundtables for the Social Security Fund (CSS), in its fifth meeting, where workers, businessmen, patients, medical associations, educators, health professionals and authorities met this Wednesday, October 2.
Regarding the solution to the crisis of the Disability, Old Age and Death (IVM) program, the proposal of the National Association of Directors of Official Schools of Panama and the teachers’ unions was supported .
In the case of the teachers’ unions, three groups were brought together: the Teachers’ Action Front (FAM), the Union of Educators for the Quality of Panamanian Education (UNECEP) and the National Union of Educators of Panama (UNEP).
The presentation by the National Association of Directors of Official Schools of Panama had two components: they reviewed the pension funds in Panama, the creation of the Social Security Fund and the latest reforms of 2008.
Their proposal was based on several income-generating measures, including strengthening finances, having the Ministry of Health (Minsa) provide health services, and having the CSS collect the income and finance the programs.
They even recommended that the board of directors be removed from office based on their performance.
They also hope that workers will retire with 100% of their last salary, based on comprehensive financial reform.
The teaching sector, made up of the Teachers’ Action Front (FAM), the Union of Educators for the Quality of Panamanian Education (UNECEP) and the National Union of Educators of Panama (UNEP), said that the main responsibility should fall on companies and politicians.
They advocate a single defined benefit system and spoke of a single change in the parametric measures, which implies greater contributions from employers and keeping the contribution from workers unchanged.
At the health roundtable, chaired by Minister Fernando Boyd, the issue of surgical delays and medical appointments was addressed.
During the work day, the teleradiology program was presented by specialist Israel Lara, director of Teleradiology projects.
Lara reported that 173 medical devices will be made available, especially for imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, mammography, among others.
This plan aims to reduce the waiting time for appointments and to have the results of these studies on time. In addition, a productivity report on radiological studies will be kept.
Although the future of mining activity will be analyzed in depth in 2025, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó , indicated that at this time they are pending approval of the issue of care and maintenance of the Cobre Panamá deposit .
This mine is inactive after the Supreme Court of Justice declared the contract between Minera Panamá , a subsidiary of First Quantum , and the Panamanian State unconstitutional; and a mining moratorium was decreed that paralyzed all projects.
Moltó stated at the Panama Motor Show that several inspections have been carried out by personnel from the Ministry of the Environment and the MICI, as well as by the company itself, which has carried out some maintenance work that has been considered “prudent,” given the condition of this deposit, including verification of the state of the copper concentrate stored there.
The minister reported that a thorough analysis of the care and maintenance plan must be carried out soon so that it can be signed by the Presidency. “We believe that it is fair that they [the company] have this plan and within this plan there must subsequently be an analysis of how and when the material [copper concentrate] should be sold, which we believe should be done soon,” he said.
Moltó added that this week the audit of the material that exists in the mine, that is, the copper concentrate, must be approved by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
He clarified that the complete audit of the mine will be carried out later and that they are being advised by multilateral organizations in order to contract this service.
Regarding the arbitrations that are being held against Panama for the closure of the mine, Moltó said that they are evaluating the one that was introduced in the World Trade Organization.
He reiterated that they will not sit at any negotiating table while arbitrations and lawsuits against Panama exist.
The Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the National Assembly approved this Wednesday, October 2, in the first debate, bill 98, which establishes and guarantees that 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) be allocated to science, technology, innovation and research.
The project seeks to allocate 1% of GDP to scientific research and technological development by 2029. To achieve this, a gradual review and adjustment would be made starting in 2025, allocating 0.20% of GDP to these areas; by 2026 the adjustment would rise to 0.40%; 0.60% by 2027 and 0.80% by 2028.
The deputy of the Vamos bench and proponent of the project, Jorge Bloise, in the explanatory statement, considers that due to the importance of said investment, “it must be reflected in a Law of the Republic to ensure that it is a long-term public policy of the State and that it is not subject to political changes.”
Half of the resources will be allocated to the National Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation (Fonacit). The other half will be allocated to strategic areas such as education and training, scientific infrastructure, regional innovation projects, collaboration between universities and companies, and scholarship programs for advanced studies in science and technology.
The project also explains that the funds could come from the discretionary budget of the President of the Republic and from a reduction in consultancies, the state payroll, transportation expenses, travel expenses and the rental of luxury vehicles.
To date, in Panama this investment has been around 0.13% of GDP.
Currently, there are two legal regulations in Panama that aim to allocate 1% of GDP to science, technology and innovation. Cabinet Resolution 149 of December 30, 2019 “which approves the strategic government plan for the next five years of management” and Cabinet Resolution 1 of Tuesday, January 7, 2020 “which approves the national strategic plan for the development of science, technology and innovation (Pencyt) 2019-2024”.
The judges of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice unanimously rejected as inadmissible a reconsideration presented by the former Minister of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel), Alma Cortés and Hernán García Aparicio, Ada Margarita Romero and Iván A. Gantes convicted of the crime of embezzlement.
The decision, signed by judges María Eugenia López, Ariadne García and Maribel Cornejo, rejected a request to reconsider the 32-month prison sentence imposed on Cortés for the crime of embezzlement.
On August 27, the Criminal Court had already rejected an appeal filed by Carlos Carrillo, Cortés’ lawyer, against the sentence imposed by the High Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases.
On that occasion, the judges of the Criminal Chamber based their decision on articles 2430 and 2439 of the Criminal Code , which establish a series of requirements under which an appeal for cassation cannot be admitted if any of them are not met.
These include that the appeal must contain a concise history of the case, determine the cause or causes for revoking the conviction, specify the reasons, legal provisions violated and the concept in which they have been violated.
In a ruling dated December 13, 2022, the Superior Court of Liquidation of Criminal Cases, after reviewing an appeal by the prosecution, magistrates Manuel Mata Avendaño, Secundino Mendieta and José Hoo Justiniani, decided to revoke an acquittal ruling issued by the Third Court of Liquidation of Criminal Cases, after concluding that the elements of conviction gathered during the investigation provide the degree of certainty to issue a conviction ruling, highlighting that there is sufficient incriminating evidence regarding the participation of those investigated in the criminal act.
The investigation, which began in 2014, relates to the collection of travel expenses to attend a series of meetings at the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Cortés also maintains that she has been summoned to trial for the alleged commission of the crime of unjustified enrichment.
This case began after the Comptroller General of the Republic , headed by Federico Humbert, delivered copies of an audit report related to Cortés’ assets in June 2016.
Starting at 10:00 a.m. this Thursday, October 3, drivers will be able to travel in a third lane toward Arraiján, province of West Panama, reported the Ministry of Public Works (MOP).
According to authorities, this new lane will extend to the communities of Loma Cová and 7 de Septiembre, and the road will be properly signposted so that drivers can take the necessary precautions when traveling through this area.
The MOP reported that the opening of this section is part of the project for the Study, Design, Construction and Maintenance of Works for the Expansion and Rehabilitation of the Pan-American Highway, Section: Bridge of the Americas – Arraiján.
The National Energy Secretariat announced that new fuel prices will increase starting this Friday, October 4.
According to the price table, 95-octane gasoline will increase by two cents and will be sold at $0.89 per liter ($3.36 per gallon), while 91- octane gasoline will increase by one cent and will be sold at $0.85 ($3.21 per gallon).
Regarding low-sulfur diesel, it was reported that it will increase by one cent and its price will remain at $0.79 ($2.99 per gallon)
The new fuel prices will go into effect from 6:00 am on Friday, October 4, until 5:59 am on Friday, October 18.
The Panama Motor Show projects car sales of around $90 million, nearly 5 million in premiums for contracted insurance policies and more than $50 million in financing transactions for the acquisition of new vehicles.
During the exhibition, which takes place at the Panama Convention Center from October 2 to 6, more than 36 companies with 50 brands and models of cars from the main manufacturers in the world will participate. Also of note are hybrid and electric models, which continue to gain ground in the country.