News
Wednesday 4th December 2024.
December 3, 2024
The deputies of the Realizing Goals (RM) party – together with the mixed bench made up of the Alianza, Partido Popular and Molirena parties – showed their rejection of the increase in the retirement age, proposed by the Executive Branch in Bill 163, which seeks to reform the Social Security Fund (CSS) .
“We are focusing on proposals that do not increase the retirement age and that guarantee a transparent and efficient system for managing the Social Security Fund reserve funds,” said the president of the Health, Labor and Social Development Commission and head of the RM bench, Alaín Cedeño, in the company of the rest of the deputies of his bench.
They will propose an investment scheme for reserve funds in public and private institutions selected through public tenders, with the aim of avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring sustainable returns.
“We are working together to present proposals that guarantee social peace and the sustainability of the system, for the peace of mind of the Panamanian people,” the statement said.
They also support the three-percentage-point increase in employer contributions that the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) had previously requested in order to prevent layoffs and the difficulty of creating jobs.
Regarding the sources of direct funding for the entity, the deputies will propose a tax on interbank loans and deposits, overnight transactions, and a percentage of the costs associated with the renewal and annual charges of credit cards.
They also say they will review the powers granted to the CSS director general in the draft law to ensure balanced management.
Cedeño said that they are currently working on these proposals to ensure a “robust and secure” social security system.
The consultations on the reform of the CSS continue after having started last Thursday, November 14. So far, 235 people have submitted their proposals to the project. It is expected that next Wednesday, December 11, the consultations will begin in the interior of the country.
The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) sent to the office of Judge Olmedo Arrocha the extension of the summary proceedings filed against the deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) , Raúl Pineda , for the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering related to Operation Jericho.
Sources from the Judicial Body reported that initially the investigations had been filed in the office of Judge Angela Russo, but after a meeting of the Plenary it was decided that they should be sent to Arrocha.
The magistrate was the one who requested the Public Prosecutor’s Office to elaborate on the facts collected in Operation Jericó, in which the alleged participation of Congressman Raúl Pineda was mentioned.
On November 7, the Public Prosecutor’s Office sent the Court an expansion of the findings in Operation Jericho, including a series of audio recordings and conversations in which the name of Congressman Pineda was allegedly mentioned.
Among the evidence submitted to the full Court on November 7 is a series of wiretaps made to Abraham Rico Pineda, son of Congressman Pineda, which detail that sums of money were allegedly used to pay people who participated in the electoral campaign last May.
The funds were also allegedly used to move people to areas where there was low turnout and where greater voter mobilization was required.
In a ruling dated July 11, the Court, with a report by Judge Olmedo Arrocha, considered that the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) did not provide a precise and clear account of the facts investigated that suggested the possible participation of the deputy in the alleged commission of a crime.
Regarding the complaint against Pineda filed by his former colleague Zulay Rodríguez, which was in the hands of magistrate Cecilio Cedalise, it should also be sent to Arrocha’s office, since it involves similar events and mentions the same people.
On October 10, Zulay Rodríguez filed a complaint against Pineda, alleging that he had some degree of participation in the events investigated within Operation Jericho.
The National Decentralization Authority (AND) has identified significant irregularities in the management of funds from the so-called parallel decentralization.
According to recent reports, 54 files reviewed from various communal councils and municipalities present inconsistencies in the justification of the resources allocated, which is equivalent to a total amount of $39.9 million dollars.
These anomalies reveal failures in accountability and have led to formal complaints being filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in an effort to strengthen transparency and ensure the proper use of public resources.
The entity announced that it continues to review the justification reports related to the funds transferred to the communal councils and municipalities during the years 2022, 2023 and 2024.
According to official data, the institution has received 594 reports to date , which represents 90% of those requested through formal notification. This process is part of the Social Interest Subprogram, also known as parallel decentralization.
In the first 40 days of review, the technical team examined 65 files, starting with those that contained the least amount of supporting documentation.
Preliminary results show irregular use in 54 of these files , which is equivalent to an amount of $39.9 million dollars that has not been properly justified. Currently, the specialized team of the AND is simultaneously working on preparing new complaints for the “most complex” cases and on responding to the requests of the Public Prosecutor’s Office on cases already in court.
These complaints, which focus mainly on the communal councils of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) during the period 2020-2024, have put the management of 320 million dollars destined for local projects in the spotlight.
It is striking that the communal councils that have been denounced do not yet include those that handled the largest amounts of money from parallel decentralization.
This is the case of the Barrio Norte community council, in the province of Colón, where Jairo Bolota Salazar is a district representative and deputy. In this district, 14.1 million dollars were delivered during that period.
The list also does not include the Changuinola community council in Bocas del Toro, which received 6 million dollars and whose representative is José de La Lastra, also from the PRD. It should be noted that Benicio Robinson, deputy of that circuit and president of the PRD, is the figure with the greatest political control in the entire province of Bocas del Toro, where 30 million dollars of the decentralization were distributed.
Although the entity reported that the reports with the least documentation are being evaluated first and then moving on to the more complex ones.
The notification process for local governments began following the statement issued by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , on August 15, in which the 754 communal councils and municipalities that received decentralization funds were urged to submit detailed reports within a period of 60 days.
The lack of adequate documentation could lead to legal and administrative sanctions, as the AND has made it clear that unjustified cases will be referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for proper investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Compliance Prosecutor’s Office appealed the decision made by a compliance judge on November 29, which granted a replacement sentence in favor of the former representative of the Calidonia district, Ramón Ashby , sentenced to 60 months in prison.
The anti-corruption compliance prosecutor, Johaira González , announced the appeal that must be supported in a hearing before the Superior Court of Appeals of the First Judicial District.
A judge decided to replace the prison sentence imposed on Ashby with the provision of services at the Parque Lefevre Health Center , where he was to perform a multitude of jobs.
The conditions imposed on the sanctioned person include the obligation to submit biweekly reports on his attendance and tasks at the health center, the prohibition of leaving the country without judicial authorization, abstention from consuming drugs and alcohol, and the commitment to maintain good social behavior.
In October, the judge of compliance, Elizabeth Berroa, decided to deny a similar request because Ashby’s defense did not present the reports required by the Technical Board of the Ministry of Government and the Directorate of the Penitentiary System. At that time, Berroa considered that Ashby, being an elected official, had a greater responsibility to carry out his work with integrity.
Ashby was sentenced to 60 months in prison for the crime of embezzlement against the Calidonia Communal Board, in which he incurred irregularities in the management of $564 thousand in funds to that entity.
The National Customs Authority reported on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the seizure of a new shipment of rice from China with a falsified Panamanian brand.
The institution reported that the quantity of rice seized has not yet been determined, mostly in two-pound packages and in smaller quantities in five-pound packages. The packages of the grain have the label of the national brand Pelín.
The Customs Authority indicated that the Chinese rice was inside an import container, which arrived in national territory through a port on the Panamanian Pacific.
It is also reported that the container was declared to contain mobile phones, phone cases or protectors, and steel cabinets. However, during the verification process, the two- and five-pound packages of rice were located.
According to Panamanian authorities, this seizure may be related to the first case of counterfeit rice of the same brand, detected on November 13. In this seizure, 2,120 packages of five pounds each were counted, which is equivalent to a total of 10,600 pounds of rice.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office continues with the investigations of this case.
In recent weeks, Panamanian authorities have seized martinelli coins (one balboa), ointments and rice from China.
In light of this situation, various sectors, including the Chinese community in Panama, are calling for these events to be investigated and for those responsible to be found.
Companies in the banking, logistics, maritime and air transport sectors were highlighted in the seventh reputation ranking for 2024 by the consulting firm Merco.
The study, which analyzed 9,818 surveys this year from 362 executives of large companies, 45 business professors, 45 economic information journalists, 45 financial analysts, 40 consumer associations, 40 unions, 49 representatives of NGOs, and 7,162 Merco Talento surveys (nine sources), revealed the winners, including Banco General , which took first place.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) was ranked second in terms of the best-rated company with the best reputation, and Copa Airlines was ranked third .
The list is completed by Banco Nacional de Panamá (4th), Cervecería Nacional (5th), Riba Smith Supermarkets (6th), Caja de Ahorros (7th), McDonald’s (8th), Nestlé (9th) and La Casa de las Baterías (10th).