News
Wednesday 2nd October 2024.
October 1, 2024
The Ministry of Security has announced an ambitious plan to increase the number of officers in the country’s various security forces by 3,000.
The information was provided by the Minister of Security, Frank Ábrego , during the presentation of a budget transfer in the Budget Committee of the National Assembly.
“We have a proposal to see how we can increase the number of different members of the public force, the different services, by 3,000 more units. But it is a project that we are working on and preparing to develop starting next year and, precisely, to be able to accommodate ourselves to the general budget of the nation,” said the Minister of Security.
These would join the nearly 30,000 members of the country’s public security forces that make up the National Police, the National Border Service, the National Aeronaval Service, among others. Although everything will depend on the budget allocated for next year.
The Ministry of Security requested about $1.45 billion for 2025 , although it will now depend on what the Ministry of Economy and Finance recommends. For this year, they were granted about $950 million.
In the Budget Committee, Ábrego explained the need to transfer $7.3 million to ensure the operation of the security forces. Of that total, $6.8 million were destined for a program, the result of an international commitment, which involves collaboration with the United States government for the maintenance of nine helicopters, essential for air-naval operations.
During his appearance, the minister highlighted the impact of these operations in the fight against drug trafficking. So far this year, he said that the National Aeronaval Service has seized 90 tons of cocaine and marijuana.
Deputy Jonathan Veg took the floor to inquire about the benefits of the helicopter maintenance program. Ábrego explained that this agreement, in force for more than 15 years, has allowed Panama to modernize its fleet without the full cost of acquiring the aircraft.
The official said the total cost of the program is around $90 million, with the United States government contributing approximately $60 million. This agreement ensures that the helicopters become the property of Panama.
The process of destroying seized drugs was also questioned. Ábrego recalled that, under the previous administration, seizures were burned in the open air, raising environmental concerns. However, thanks to cooperation with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, an incinerator is being built in Panama that will allow drugs to be destroyed in a controlled and effective manner.
The cost of building the incinerator has been around $3 million, with an estimated lifespan of more than 10 years, provided it is properly maintained. The capacity of the incinerator will allow Panama to dispose of the seized drugs without having to send them to the United States.
Ábrego said that on every flight that transports drugs to be incinerated, there is a prosecutor and officers from the National Aeronaval Service present, guaranteeing supervision of the process and the veracity of the destruction.
He also stressed the importance of cooperation with the United States, not only in helicopter maintenance, but also in the training of security personnel. The collaboration extends to various areas, including the fight against organized crime and citizen security.
Dino Mon took office on Tuesday, October 1 as the new general director of the Social Security Fund (CSS).
He did so before the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , at an event held in the Yellow Room of the Palacio de Las Garzas. The Minister of Health, Fernando Boyd, was also present.
After the formal ceremony, Mon went to the Presidente Remón polyclinic on 17th Street, where he took a tour of this Social Security facility.
From there, Mon made a statement to the media, stating that his main objective is to transform the institution into a more humane, efficient and transparent organization.
“We will work together to achieve a CSS that better meets the needs of all policyholders,” he said.
He also said that medical supplies are expected to arrive this week, especially for the areas of cardiology and orthopedics, which will allow reducing the surgical backlog, which, as Mon himself revealed a few weeks ago, is at 60%.
He also revealed that a large quantity of expired medicines were found, which represent a health risk and an economic loss of 2.5 million dollars.
Regarding pensions, Mon said that it is important to “ensure the destination of the contributions of the insured” and that these should not be squandered or “used in politics.” “I will not allow this institution to be manipulated by particular interests or political favors,” he said.
He also called for innovation and technology as fundamental tools to face the challenges of CSS. “I believe in technology, I believe in innovation as tools that will lead us to a better future,” he said.
Mon is an actuary and headed Mapfre Panama for more than 20 years. Between 2022 and 2024, he assumed responsibility as advisory actuary for the IFRS 17 Transformation Project at the Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance of Panama. He also participated, from the private sector, in the analyses and runs to reform the CSS pension system in 2005
The Minister of Public Security (Minseg) , Frank Ábrego , attempted to downplay the transfer of 11.3 hectares of seabed on Flamenco Island that would be used for a National Aeronaval Service (Senan) station , in favor of the company Amador Marina, SA , for a private development.
The transfer was made by the current president, José Raúl Mulino , when he headed the Minseg, in 2014.
Ábrego pointed out that the Minseg is not responsible for granting the land, but rather the Administrative Unit of Reverted Assets (UABR) , suggesting that questions should be directed to that office, which is a dependency of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) .
However, Ábrego failed to mention the failed naval air station, which already had an environmental impact study approved by the Ministry of the Environment when Mulino gave up on the plan. This allowed the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) to grant that area in concession to Amador Marina.
Mulino’s decision to cede the space to Amador Marina, through a cooperation agreement that is not public, was supported at a Cabinet meeting in February 2014.
In exchange for the concession, the company promised to donate a marina and an officers’ club to Senan at that location, but they were not built. Despite this, Amador Marina maintained the concession with the AMP and a lease of 2.7 hectares of dry land with the UABR, both for a period of 20 years, renewable.
During his appearance before the Budget Committee of the National Assembly on Tuesday, October 1, Ábrego was questioned on the matter by independent deputy Betsarai Richards.
Ábrego confirmed that “indeed, the Minseg made a request,” but then “withdrew and asked for the space on Perico Island
“That base was built [on Perico Island], so to speak, further into the bay for tidal reasons, because it would be more difficult on Flamenco Island,” said Ábrego, who insisted that the land “was never assigned to the Minseg. On the other hand, the Senan facilities are built on Perico Island.”
Amador Marina’s partial representative is Louis Sola , one of the five commissioners of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) of the United States. Sola’s daughter is the president and legal representative of the aforementioned company.
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) will automatically cancel the registration of any vessel that is involved in illegal activities or that changes its flag in order to evade sanctions.
This was announced by the General Directorate of Merchant Marine of the AMP, on Monday, September 30, when it indicated that they are evaluating additional strategic measures, which allow for the expeditious cancellation of the Panamanian flag of ships with proven links to activities that go against national interests, international instruments or the shipping industry in general.
Currently, Article 49 of the General Merchant Marine Law 57 is used as one of the legal mechanisms to cancel the registration of vessels included in sanctions lists.
It establishes the causes for ex officio cancellations, such as the use of the vessel for smuggling, illegal trade and piracy, among other crimes.
On Thursday, September 26, the United States Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), imposed sanctions on more than a dozen entities and vessels, 7 of them Panamanian-flagged, involved in shipping Iranian crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas to Syria and East Asia on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and Hezbollah.
These seven vessels, including crude oil tankers Eternal Success , Eternal 8, and Eternal Peace , are associated with the Marshall Islands-registered, People’s Republic of China-based company Star Ocean Shipmanage Ltd. The vessels were used by the IRGC-QF to facilitate illicit trade.
These are joined by the Panamanian-flagged vessels Serene I , registered to Dragon Road Ltd., Feng Tai , owned by Tai Feng Hai Shipping Limited, Confidence P , managed by Abdul Jalil Mallah, and Rival , also linked to Mallah’s network.
These ships have been involved in transporting Iranian products to support destabilizing activities and financing terrorist groups.
The 2024-2025 cruise season will begin on October 6 in the Caribbean and on October 9 in the Pacific when the first ships arrive in the country.
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) estimates that 350,000 tourists will arrive in the country during this period that extends until the end of March and beginning of April of next year, aboard 57 vessels in the Pacific and 120 that are registered to anchor in the Atlantic.
For each passenger in a port of embarkation or home port operation , an estimated expense of around $350 is calculated in payment for hotels, food and various merchandise in the country, while a passenger in transit spends around $100 on consumption on Panamanian soil.
More than 22,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Panama under the home port scheme and more than 10 shipping companies have confirmed their call at local ports, with passengers arriving mostly from North American countries.
“Panama has been preparing for many years to receive cruise passengers and we must continue to meet the business expectations of the shipping companies that trust in our service, as well as the expectations of visitors,” explained the general director of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries of the AMP, Max Florez.
Florez said that cruise ship services do not only involve providing services to assist tourists, but also to meet the needs of the ship’s crew, in addition to the services offered by the auxiliary maritime industry that also benefits from the season.
“We have a strong auxiliary industry and we are prepared to supply the cruise ships with the food, medicines and supplies they need. It is a win-win situation for the country,” concluded Florez.