News
Wednesday 20th November 2024.
November 19, 2024
The draft reform of the Social Security Fund (CSS) law has brought with it key changes that impact various benefits and rights of insured persons, such as changes to the maternity subsidy, new provisions on the economic dependents of insured persons and clearer criteria regarding the suspension of payment of subsidies for non-occupational illness.
One of the most significant changes is the extension of maternity benefits to include adoptive mothers. This amendment seeks to equalise the rights of biological mothers with those of adoptive mothers, ensuring that both can access this benefit on equal terms.
The reforms included the “maternity subsidy for adoption.”
Insured persons covered by this program will be entitled to the subsidy provided that they have a minimum of nine payments credited to their individual account during the last year.
Currently, pregnant workers are entitled to 14 weeks of paid leave. This is divided into 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after giving birth. During this time, they receive their full salary .
In the law being discussed in the National Assembly, in its first debate, it is detailed that in the case of adoptive mothers, the subsidy will correspond to eight weeks to facilitate the adaptation of the minor to the dynamics of the home.
In these cases, the weekly benefit will correspond to your average weekly salary on which you have paid contributions during the last nine months.
The bill expands the definition of economic dependents, allowing couples in free union to be included as beneficiaries, provided they meet certain conditions. These couples must prove that they have lived together for at least five years and have no legal impediments to marrying.
However, the change explicitly excludes same-sex couples, as only those unions in which the members have the legal possibility of marrying will be recognised as dependents.
The project directly indicates that in the event that an insured person does not have a spouse, the woman or the man will have the right to medical benefits with respect to the spouse, with whom he or she lives in a free union, in conditions of singularity and stability, that is, who does not have a marital bond with the insured person, provided that for said union there is no legal impediment to marriage and that they have lived together for at least five years, which must be proven before the Institution with a certificate of de facto marriage issued by the National Civil Registry Directorate of the Electoral Tribunal.
Additionally, the reform ratifies that the insured’s children may be dependent until they are 18 years old, extending to 25 if they are economically dependent students.
It also confirms as dependents invalid children and parents over 50 and 60 years of age (mothers and fathers respectively) without their own resources.
The amendments to the CSS law establish more detailed and restrictive criteria regarding the non-occupational illness benefit, specifying the circumstances in which this benefit will be suspended or denied.
Article 145 of the reform establishes that the non-occupational illness subsidy will not be paid in the following cases:
- Intentionally caused injuries or illnesses : The benefit will be denied if it is proven that the insured deliberately caused the injury or illness that caused the disability.
- Consequence of criminal acts : If the injury or illness results from the commission of a crime for which the insured was responsible, the benefit will be suspended.
- Brawls caused by the insured : The subsidy will not be granted if the damage is the result of a fight initiated by the insured.
- Drunkenness or drug addiction : Disabilities caused by the consumption of alcohol or psychoactive substances will not be covered by the CSS. In these cases, drunkenness or drug addiction must be confirmed by a medical professional at the time of care, based on the signs and clinical evidence presented by the patient.
These latter provisions, although already contemplated in Law 151 of 2005, have been reformulated with clearer and more precise wording, with the aim of explicitly defining their scope and application.
The Social Security Fund (CSS) is currently facing some 839 active lawsuits for compensation for damages for mass poisoning with diethylene glycol before the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.
The total amount of claims covered by these lawsuits amounts to 3,220,079,162 dollars and 80 cents. Originally, the number of lawsuits and claims was higher, but at least 74 of these were not admitted or are under appeal. The amount of these other claims is approximately 171,967,088 dollars and 32 cents.
The information contained is a breakdown prepared by the Office of the Public Prosecutor , the entity that is defending the CSS in these 839 claims. According to the institution, there are 237 pending a sentence and 239 pending a date for the presentation of evidence.
To date, the CSS, according to sources within the entity, has only paid 188 thousand dollars for a sentence that condemned it in 2022, for the first lawsuit for damages caused by this poisoning, which was heard by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.
The draft law on the extinction of domain is not on the agenda of the Ministry of Public Security, at least for now.
This was confirmed on Tuesday, November 19, by the head of that portfolio, Frank Ábrego, during his participation in the forum Public Policies and Financial Structures of Organized Crime, organized by the Civic Space Foundation.
In his speech, Ábrego stressed that, currently, the initiative to promote a law on the forfeiture of assets from drug trafficking and organized crime “is not” among the priorities of the Ministry of Security.
The minister stressed that there are already institutions such as the Directorate of Seized Assets of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), responsible for managing, selling or auctioning off assets seized in cases related to organized crime, and noted that these should operate more efficiently. “Why create more laws if we have officials who are not efficient?” questioned Ábrego.
The official recalled his experience working at the Directorate of Seized Assets 11 years ago, and mentioned that he recently requested a report on the assets managed by that department. According to him, to his surprise, “they have not sold a tire.” He even stated that there are still assets seized in that office from his administration, which he described as a reflection of “poor administration.”
Ábrego said that, before considering new laws, it is essential that institutions fulfill their function and that assets seized from drug trafficking and corruption are effectively auctioned off, allocating the funds obtained to the development of programs and projects that benefit communities.
A total of 26 boxes containing small cans of the well-known Vick Vaporub ointment , allegedly adulterated, were found in a container inspected at a Panamanian Pacific port.
The National Customs Authority (ANA) reported that the discovery was made during a review as part of Operation Dragon, a strategy aimed at combating smuggling and other customs crimes.
According to the agency, the counterfeit cans of Vicks Vaporub were part of a shipment from China, which was being monitored by the Office of Risk Analysis due to indications that it included goods that were trying to enter without paying the corresponding taxes.
In a statement, Customs said that this everyday product did not have a health registration or authorization from the brand owners, who confirmed that it is an article of fraudulent origin. The brand representatives also reported that they have detected similar cases in other countries, which are being investigated.
Given this situation, the population has been called upon to purchase this product only from authorized retailers and avoid health risks.
Authorities are continuing their investigations to identify those responsible and prevent the distribution of these products on the local market.
The proposal to create a regulatory entity that seeks to optimize water use, both for the consumption of the population and for the Panama Canal , could optimize the governance of water use in the country, although it is considered a measure to be implemented in the short term.
This was stated by the Minister for Canal Affairs, José Ramón Icaza, during the Forum on Security, Water, Access to Water and Sanitation, organized by the Panamanian Chamber of Construction (Capac) .
This, after Alejandro Ferrer , president of Capac, assured that it is necessary to have a government entity that can manage all the actors related to water.
“The National Water and Sewer Institute (IDAAN) is a service company that purifies water and delivers it to its users. But there are many people who are not necessarily IDAAN customers, but who also need water,” said Ferrer.
Although it is not yet known whether the proposal will be formalized, Icaza said that the government’s main objective is to guarantee access to drinking water for all Panamanians.
“The first thing we have to do is provide water to the Panamanian population. Right now, we are focused on rescuing and optimizing existing infrastructure to ensure supply,” he said.
In this regard, Rutilio Villarreal , director of Idaan, assured that by 2025 it is expected to finish the construction of the Howard plant, to solve, to a large extent, the crisis of lack of drinking water in the communities of Burunga, Arraiján Cabecera and Veracruz, in the district of Arraiján, province of Panama Oeste.
In addition, the sewerage system in David, Chiriquí and the optimization projects in the main networks of the capital city and in the area of West Panama.
He also said that the construction of a 12-inch diameter line for Veracruz is planned. Villarreal assured that the plans have been developed and will be put out to tender once the next budget is in force.
The average consumption in the country is 100 gallons of water per person per day, a figure well above the internationally recommended standard, which ranges between 30 and 35 gallons per person per day.
“We have to lower that. One hundred gallons per person per day is too much water for domestic use,” Villarreal said.
Regarding Idaan’s accumulated debts, which exceed $106 million, the director revealed that strategies are being evaluated to reduce delinquency. Without revealing details, he explained that models have been developed that will be presented to the entity’s board of directors for analysis and approval.
The new Idaan administration faces several problems related to water supply, most of which were inherited from previous administrations.
In various statements, Villarreal revealed that the metropolitan region’s water supply network, which has the capacity to store 40 million gallons of water, is disconnected, with the exception of the Chilibre tank. This tank, which supplies the population at night, is the only one in operation.
He also said that in the western area, which includes Arraiján and La Chorrera, there is a 10% deficit in water production, which means that the current quantity is not sufficient to meet demand.
Regarding the Roberto Reina water treatment plant in Chitré, Herrera, the director revealed that despite operating at 100% of its capacity, it faces serious problems due to the high turbidity of the La Villa River.