News
Tuesday 25th February 2025.
February 24, 2025
The salary increases adopted by former Comptroller Gerardo Solís six months before leaving office have been repealed, since the budget allocation to make them effective never existed.
This was decided by the current Comptroller Anel “Bolo” Flores , who replaced Solís on January 2.
The salary adjustments for all staff of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR), as well as a new salary scale , were to be implemented starting in the first half of January. However, Flores found that when Solís adopted the increases, he did so without having the necessary funds, which directly violates the “golden rule of budgetary administration.”
Resolution 517-DC repeals another resolution (number 486-24-DNDRH of April 23, 2024) signed by Solís and the then general secretary of the CGR, Zenia Vásquez , through which a “ regulation of the salary increase policy for merit ” was approved for the 4,003 officials with permanent status who were then on the entity’s payroll. Currently, there are 3,869.
The resolution that Flores now repealed was precisely the rule invoked by Solís to relocate his trusted staff in the organization chart of the entity, so that they would remain in the CGR after his departure. And it seems that he succeeded, because those employees are still there. Even Vásquez, whom Flores tried to remove last month, without success.
Flores discovered that the supposed “regulation of the salary increase policy based on merit” does not exist: it was never published in the Official Gazette . Therefore, it was not known how to apply the salary adjustments left by his predecessor.
Before leaving, Solís also repealed the so-called “Manual for the classification of management positions by competencies and salary policies.” With this maneuver, he left the Comptroller’s Office officials -according to Flores- “helpless.”
To fill this gap, the Comptroller General has tasked the National Legal Advisory Board with “reestablishing the conditions to ensure the benefits” that were in force when Solís signed Resolution 486-24-DNDRH of June 2024.
Solís always knew that he did not have the funds to promise salary increases. In the now repealed resolution, it was noted that it was necessary to “manage the acquisition of the corresponding budgetary resources to make effective the application of the new salary scale as of January 1, 2025.”
When President José Raúl Mulino found out about this, he tried to dissuade him.
On June 27, 2024, Mulino (then president-elect) warned that such increases were “nonsense.”
“He should be well aware of the precariousness of our finances and avoid these decisions that will not be possible in the new budget,” the president warned in a message posted on his X account.
Solís ignored him and responded that “the president is not the head of the comptroller.”
A criminal complaint for the alleged commission of the crime of usurpation of public functions was filed on the morning of Monday, February 24, against Alejandro Miranda, who served as campaign advisor to Mayor Mayer Mizrachi , for performing functions within the Municipality of Panama without being appointed as such.
The complaint, filed by Deputy Mayor Roberto Ruiz Díaz , alleges that Miranda, without being appointed to the Municipality of Panama, actively participates in meetings of the board of directors and gives instructions to the suppliers of said entity without being duly appointed.
According to the complaint, Miranda, a U.S. citizen, actively participated as a coordinator and campaign advisor for Mayor Mizrachi, but is not appointed as an official in the Municipality of Panama.
According to the complaint, Alejandro Miranda should be covered by a legal relationship within the Municipality, so that he could continue participating in meetings and activities specific to municipal public officials.
It also argues that Miranda, without having a university degree or formal appointment, usurps public functions, openly violating article 359 of the Penal Code, since he actively participates in the decisions made in the capital city.
Ruiz Díaz said that during his time as Secretary General of the Municipality of Panama, a position from which he resigned, he observed that Miranda participated in meetings with suppliers such as JC Decaux, Hombres del Blanco and Multibank/TX, the latter in charge of collecting municipal taxes.
In the complaint, Ruiz Díaz asks the Public Prosecutor’s Office to request information from the National Migration Service about Miranda’s immigration status and reports of his entry and exit from the country; at the same time, he requested the Ministry of Labor to certify whether it has granted Miranda a work permit.
In October 2024, Vice Mayor Roberto Ruiz Díaz decided to resign from his position as Secretary General of the Municipality of Panama. At that time, he posted a video on social media in which he said that he decided to step aside because he considered that “the job was not being done well.”
Then, on January 21, the Panama City Council accepted a request submitted by Ruiz Díaz to be granted unpaid leave from the position of deputy mayor of the District of Panama.
The request arose in the context of apparent differences with Mayor Mayer Mizrachi, related to the management of contracts and other administrative matters.
Although specific details about the disagreements were not disclosed, sources close to the municipality suggest that they may have influenced Ruiz Díaz’s decision to seek a leave of absence and temporarily step aside from his duties.
A judge of guarantees of Panama West legalized the arrest of Julio Bayo, a 43-year-old citizen, who was charged with the alleged commission of the crimes of deprivation of liberty, aggravated robbery and illicit association.
This case is related to the disappearance of the young Dayra Caicedo , who was intercepted by a group of hooded and heavily armed men while she was at the door of her residence in Vista Alegre de Arraiján, on February 19.
This man was arrested in the district of Parque Lefevre.
Bayo’s defense announced that it will file an appeal, the hearing of which was set for March 6, 2025, at 2:00 pm, at the Superior Court of Appeals, in Plaza Fortuna.
While the hearing was taking place on Monday, a group of relatives and acquaintances of the young woman stood outside the court facilities with signs that read “Justice” and “Where is Dayra?”, demanding progress in the investigation.
The separated administrative coordinator of the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (Miviot), Daniel Gómez, filed a criminal complaint this Monday, February 24, 2025, with the Public Ministry (MP) to investigate the alleged loss of the entity’s equipment, valued at up to $500 thousand, in Alto de la Torre, San Miguelito district.
Gómez stated that at the time he warned the Minister of Miviot, Jaime Jované , about the disappearance of these teams, a situation that – according to his account – had been recorded since September 2024. However, he assured that no actions were taken to protect the supplies, which allowed many to be stolen.
The former official attributed the responsibility to Minister Jované, pointing out that he sent him several official notes informing him about the problem, but that no measures were ever taken to avoid the loss of the equipment. He added that the situation was also known to other Miviot officials, but that they did not act either.
Gómez also said that he was subsequently suspended from his position for five days and that an audit was carried out, without being given a clear explanation. Finally, he was removed from his position. He said that he does not know the reasons for his dismissal and questioned why the equipment was never protected.
According to the complaint, the stolen materials included heavy equipment, steel beams and supplies intended for the Techos de Esperanza program . The company said that these materials remained unchecked and unprotected for months, which would have facilitated their disappearance.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) issued Resolution No. 146 , a regulation that prohibits the sale and use of electronic cigarettes and related products for minors. In addition, it establishes the prohibition of their consumption in public spaces and in closed places of public access, such as offices, educational institutions and health centers.
This resolution also includes a strict limitation on the advertising, promotion, sponsorship and propaganda of these products throughout the country. The measure, published in the Official Gazette on February 13, will come into force six months after its promulgation, on July 31, 2025.
The resolution states that the objective is to protect public health and the well-being of the population, particularly minors, from the potential risks posed by tobacco and nicotine products.
It also specifically bans nicotine delivery systems, commonly known as e-cigarettes, as well as cartridges, refills, accessories and conventional heated tobacco products, among others. The resolution also regulates the market for oral nicotine products in order to prevent their consumption among young people.
Norma Astudillo, coordinator of the National Commission for Tobacco Control of the Ministry of Health , highlighted the importance of this new regulation, stressing that electronic cigarettes not only contain nicotine, but also release a series of chemical substances harmful to health.
“These devices may contain glycols, aldehydes, heavy metals, arsenic, among other toxic compounds, which have harmful effects on lung and cardiovascular health,” explained Astudillo.
He stressed that this resolution is in line with the precautionary principle of public health, which obliges the State to take measures to protect the population from potential risks, even when there is no complete scientific evidence on the long-term effects of these devices.
The resolution also establishes a clear framework of sanctions in case of non-compliance with the regulations. The Minsa may apply corrective measures such as economic fines, temporary closures of establishments and other sanctions, based on the current Minsa regulations, such as Law No. 40 of November 2006 and the Sanitary Code of 1947 .
These sanctions will apply not only to sellers of tobacco products, but also to suppliers who do not comply with the new provisions, such as the obligation to place visible signs in their establishments, indicating that the sale of these products to minors is prohibited.
In addition to the ban on sales, minors will also be prohibited from working in the sale of these products or being employed in their marketing. The measure aims to limit young people’s access to these products and prevent the early adoption of consumption habits that could lead to nicotine dependence and long-term health problems.
Regarding consumption, the resolution prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes and similar products in a wide range of public places, including public transportation, public and private offices, educational institutions and health centers.
The ban also extends to common spaces in public and private buildings, in an effort to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and protect the health of the community at large.
According to the Ministry of Health, Panama has the lowest prevalence of tobacco consumption among the population aged 15 years and older in the Americas, and ranks fourth in the world. This effort has been consolidated over the years, with pioneering measures such as Law 13 of January 2008, which implements restrictions on tobacco consumption in closed spaces with public access, making Panama the first country in the world to sanction an absolute ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.
In fact, in 2024, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recognized the work carried out by the country within the framework of the Tobacco Control Treaty.
Dr. Reina Roa received this recognition on behalf of Panama, highlighting that Panamanian legislation has been fundamental in reducing tobacco consumption and protecting public health.