News
Wednesday 27th November 2024.
November 26, 2024
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an inspection at the General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) to locate documents that support the tax benefits and exemptions that the previous administration recognized to the Dutch company VT Shipping International, Inc. , allegedly outside the law.
The investigation is currently being carried out by staff from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office , which is assisted by the director of the DGI, Camilo Valdés.
The Press also learned that the company is under investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for alleged tax evasion, which is being conducted by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime.
On October 1, 2020, the then director of the DGI, Publio De Gracia , signed a resolution to recognize VT Shipping’s application of tax exemptions and other exclusive incentives of an oil-free zone .
In that document, De Gracia reports that the decision was made after analyzing the documentation provided by the taxpayer, which included a list of certificates and resolutions issued by the National Energy Secretariat (SNE) and a copy of its operating notice.
“Therefore, this Directorate considers that the recognition of the tax incentives indicated above and that are administered by this Directorate is viable,” De Gracia noted in Resolution No. 201-6805 of October 1, 2020 .
However, at least three energy secretaries have warned in writing that VT Shipping does not have a contract with the state to operate an oil-free zone.
The first was Jorge Rivera Staff.
“VT Shipping International Inc. does not currently have a contract with the State to operate and manage a fuel-free zone [formerly an oil-free zone],” Rivera Staff responded on August 31, 2023 (when he served as secretary of the SNE), in a note addressed to the deputy prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office , Ana Vásquez Ramos .
Rivera added that the company has a permit to supply, deliver and supply petroleum products via barges or other vessels. That permit has been renewed by the SNE every five years since 2009. The current one was valid until November 20 and has not been extended .
“Apparently, according to the investigation that is being carried out by the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, they are trying to prove that they have some kind of tax exemption, and it turns out that this tax exemption is based on them having a petroleum-free zone license, which they do not have. This is the crux of the matter,” Mitchell told La Prensa .
“They are pretending to be assigned to a legal situation that does not correspond, and in that criminal investigation that is being conducted by the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office and also in the one being conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, they have not been able to demonstrate that they are, in fact, an oil-free zone. This could be detrimental to them not only in the conventional criminal sphere, but also at the tax criminal level,” the lawyer stressed.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs in Chiriquí are up in arms. They reject the new tax regime that was promoted by the Mayor of David and approved by the Municipal Council.
“No to the new tax regime of the Municipality of David! No to abuse!”, protesters shouted outside the municipality on the morning of Tuesday, November 26.
Jorge Tovar, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Agriculture and Tourism of Chiriquí, said that “unfortunately” municipal agreements No. 18 and No. 19 were approved without the participation of the commercial sector.
He said they tried to participate on Tuesday, but the documents had allegedly been approved on Monday in an extraordinary session. He said they are unaware of the content of the agreements, and are therefore urging the authorities to disclose them.
Tovar reported that they submitted a request to repeal these agreements and “enter into a frank and realistic conversation about the taxation of taxes in the Municipality of David.
Katty Saldaña, treasurer of the Mayor’s Office, explained that agreement No. 19 modifies the tax regime dating back to 2011, which establishes the amount that taxpayers must pay according to the activity they carry out.
He said that this 2011 regime establishes a way of taxing in a “discretionary manner of the official on duty.” For example, a retail business must pay in a range of 5 dollars to 1,000 dollars per month. “The official on duty is the one who decides the amount to be taxed for X business. That is, by finger pointing, as I call it,” he added.
Now, the new agreement “comes to set a table in a way that is fairer for micro, small and medium-sized companies, because at present the tax burden is being borne by small entrepreneurs,” said the official.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office arrested two people and found machines and equipment allegedly used to make one-dollar coins known as fake ‘martinellis’.
A note released by the Public Prosecutor’s Office through the social network X released this afternoon announced the arrest of the suspects in Altos de Tocumen. Attorney Javier Caraballo participated in these proceedings.
For this case, the Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Economic Assets charged three people with the crimes of counterfeiting, after finding a large quantity of counterfeit ‘martinellis’ in a warehouse in the district of Chilibre that had allegedly been introduced through the free zone of Colón from China. The fiscal investigation points to the existence of a complex network dedicated to the manufacture, introduction and distribution of counterfeit coins in the national territory.
Likewise, the authorities explained that the shipment seized last week raised suspicions due to inconsistencies in the documentation presented for its entry into the country.
The analysis of the confiscated coins confirmed serious inconsistencies compared to the legitimate ones. Among them, it was observed that they have a slightly smaller weight and size. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting three investigations related to the falsification of ‘martinellis’, after merchants and users revealed the circulation of coins other than the normal currency.
In addition, these coins differ in color from the originals and the nickel and copper inlay comes off easily if they are hit or dropped. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting three investigations related to the falsification of ‘martinellis’, after merchants and users revealed the circulation of coins other than the normal currency.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office managed to arrest seven people, including four officials, a lawyer and two former officials , for the alleged commission of money laundering crimes.
These individuals were reported to have been involved in the fraudulent awarding of contracts for the acquisition and transportation of chemical products.
In the first phase of this investigation, which began in July 2023, a former official of the Public Ministry was arrested , who allegedly approved and awarded a contract for the transportation of chemical materials without consultation, making use of her position.
Sources linked to the investigation detailed that those arrested collaborated in the crime to obtain profits from contracts assigned for the purchase and transport of chemical materials.
It was also reported that the lawyer was the person who allegedly provided legal advice for the development of illegal activities and that his signature appeared on some documents recovered by the authorities in the raids carried out in Panama and West Panama.
In the first phase of this investigation, the authorities arrested two people who were charged with the alleged commission of crimes of money laundering and corruption of public officials.
So far, the authorities have not given further details of which institution the arrested persons belong to, who in the next few hours will be brought before a judge of guarantees for the imputation of charges and application of precautionary measures.
Panama ranks 71st out of 116 countries in terms of English proficiency, as it will be in 2023, according to the English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) , published by the global organization EF Education First.
The study evaluated 2.1 million people over 18 years of age around the world.
Panama’s performance, with a total of 488 points, two more than the previous year, is higher than the global average, although it shows contradictory trends. While adults over 40 have improved their skills, young people aged 18 to 20 have registered a constant decline since 2017, an anomaly compared to regional patterns.
In addition, the country faces a significant gender gap: men outnumber women in English proficiency by a margin of 30 points, ranking as one of the largest disparities in Latin America.
The results of the index demonstrate the need for a comprehensive strategy to improve the teaching of English in Panama, both in the educational system and in the professional field.
“Panama has the potential to move forward, but requires greater investment in teacher training and educational resources,” said Kate Bell, author of the index.
At the regional level, Latin America has shown variations in its performance since 2017. Although some countries have maintained stability, most have registered setbacks. Central American nations such as Costa Rica and Guatemala stand out with moderate progress.
Meanwhile, global English proficiency continues to decline, affecting most regions, although with notable exceptions in the Middle East and Africa.
For the sixth year in a row, the Netherlands leads the world ranking , followed by Norway and Singapore. However, the report highlights that 60% of the countries analysed reflect lower scores than in 2023, a sign that English proficiency faces structural challenges in formal education and the private sector.
“By 2024, English is expected to be widely spoken, but efforts to strengthen its learning are not sustainable,” Bell said.