Roger B

59 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

I received an email telling me that NIT is the abbreviation for Numero de Identificacion Tributario. It is essentially a tax identification number, like the social security number is on U.S. tax returns.

That is correct Bonnie

It is something like the ITIN  (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) that gives you the IRS in the US.

8 hours ago, Penny said:

More or less the same. I'll probably be safe if I just pay the same. Sometimes, because of the timing of payments, there's a little more or less multa and/or interest. It just bugs me that the government websites in Panama are so difficult to navigate. My neighbor says they do it on purpose so you have to hire either a lawyer or accountant. I attribute it to ineptness. Just when you learn to use the darn thing, they change it around the following year. Then, every five years a new government comes in and re-writes the whole thing.

Starting this year, if you pay taxes on your personal residence, there will be a huge change in the downward direction.

Penny

Sorry.

But that is not true.  

I used them every year.  I know that they do some changes that makes you to re learn the way to navigate through it but finally you can do it.  

Sometimes I do admit that it becomes a little bit harder to navigate and go thru but it is more a matter of trying to do a lot for the site from designers than other obscure agenda.

It is sad to hear people spreading as true something like this.

22 hours ago, Brundageba said:

These documentaries ( all of them from Keith and Roger)  are excellent and worth time to view.

Thanks.  I have to say that Keith is a person that I do really admire because he is always trying to be informed and keep informed the community and people of ths sites he constributes with his posts about Panama.  That says much about the kind of person he is.  My respects to Keith.  

On 1/7/2018 at 12:21 PM, Uncle Doug said:

These kind of assassinations are almost always a result of a deal gone bad in the criminal underworld. 

 I do agree.  

Clearly it was a hit ordered to this specific man by somebody who has some deal gone bad.

Keith and all

Below is the link that explain, more or less in english,  the events of the 9 de Enero de 1964 in Panama.  

I have to say that I have a cousin that participated as a high school student marching with the Panamanian flag to the Balboa High School.  He is alive.  He told us all the bad things that happened the day they went to Balboa High School and how they were insulted, spitted and their flag was destroyed and torn by the Zonians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrs'_Day_(Panama)

The guy holding the flag at the right of the student with glasses is my cousin.  Inocencio Garcia.

My cousin is the third guy from left.  Watching the torn Panamanian flag.  Flag that was taken abruptly from their hands by zonians students and their parents.

My cousin is the first on the left holding the flag while talking with the Canal Zone Governor in front of the Administration Building and Balboa High School.

This violent act against the Panamanian flag was the spark that fired all the other events in that day and following 3 to 4 days.

"Only one flag.  Only one territory".  

Stones and rocks vs bullets and shotguns.

The most interesting thing is this is a public school located in the city of Chitre, province of Herrera.   Young and very talented people from the interior.  One of the best school band in Panama.

With big efforts from their parents, family members, community those young people did a lot of activities to rise funds to cover the cost of the air tickets and expenses.  They could make it.  I feel so proud of those young students.   Panama still have hope with these young people.

Well.   I know Ing. Roberto Roy.   The only thing I can say, according to what I have known about him,  is that he is a very good and succesfful professional,  a very good public servant and a great businessman.   

Being in the construction business I know him from the CAPAC or construction chamber and this news have taken us by surprise.  I seriously doubt about this bribery accusations.  Let see what the investigations bring out to light.  

The criminal was caught.  He was presented before the judge and prosecutor and declared legal the arrest.  He was heavily protected by police officers.  Fearing that anybody would like to take Justice in their own hands.

This murderer asked the judge for protection in jail.  There is an urban legend in Panama that says that violent criminals in jail will harm and could kill people that commit horrendous crimes to children.  Most of those criminals have children and they don't like people who harm children.  The guy is terrified and fear that he will be targeted by those criminals in jail.

This could sound bad, but almost all people in Panama wish that something happen to this guy in jail.

People:

In the last 6 months the ATTT or Transit Authority has launched an APP to be used on Android Smartphones.  With that App you can denounce any driver that is committing a traffic violation.  

Also I have also seen that some people has sent to the ATTT Twitter account photographs with all the details of people committing traffic violations and the agency has identified the vehicles by the license plates and have fine them severely according to the traffic violation committed.

A very sad news shook Panama's society yesterday.   A missing six years old girl was found dead in the house of her godfather.  The son of the godfather was arrested and accused of commiting such horrendous crime.

I did cry when I heard about it and when I saw the sad video of the little girl parents.  There are a lot of people in Panama that would like just only 5 minutes alone with this animal and punish him little by little for this horrible crime done to a poor little angel.  The young father of the little girl was totally destroyed, crying aloud with pain and sorrow.... this is something to make anybody crazy.   This is such a pain that nobody can heal.

This is rising a cry from people in Panama.  Some are asking for death penalty for such kind of crime in our country.

https://www.tvn-2.com/videos/noticias/crimen-nina-anos-Chorrera-impacto_2_4921027921.html

Here is an interview with the father of the little girl.  He tells about how they discovered the body of the girl in the godfather's house.  About 50 yards from their house.  How the mother of the criminal helped his son to hide what he did.  

http://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/Padre-hallada-Chorrera-sospechoso-buscarla_0_1092191234.html

Uncle Doug.

I do agree with your comments and opinion.   Clear and loud.  

And what are the consequences of being on the EU blacklist?  Essentially nothing. 

We hope so.  Government officials and business organizations are studying this and will be planning a retaliation strategy.

Why don't they mention Andorra

Interesting and we make the same question.  There are also other countries with very "soft" banking laws and are involved in more financial scandals.

How much does Panama rely on Belgium for its economy?

Nothing.  But because is a consensus decision that will be taken in the EU forced by France it could affect financing to Panama's funding from that continent.  But most of our financing comes from our big brother USA and some Asian countries.

In the last decade we have seen several attacks coming from a specific european country:  France.  Why? We dont know.  

Sorry.  Forgive my english.  It is CAN'T not CAN.   

14 hours ago, Roger B said:

I can't deny the fact that some lawyers, banks, goverment officials, politicians and businessmen in Panama have been involved in scandals that have to do with tax evasion, money laundering and other financial crimes.  But also we can't deny the fact that Panama's authorities have done drastic changes in our financial and banking system.  It is hard for a Panamanian citizen or a panamanian corporation to open a banking account today.   I opened a checking account in a panamanian bank for a little corporation I opened and.... my God.   I had an interview with the banking officer that looked like an interrogation scene from a spy movie.  They asked for a lot of papers.  I thought they would ask for the model of the underwear my grandmother used in 1950.  After giving them all the papers and documents they asked me I was giving the manual for operations.  Every wire transfer I do receive from foreign countries I should do a declaration from where it came from and what was the origin of that transaction.  So there were other procedures when dealing with deposits, wire transfers, etc.  We should give all the details of where the money is coming from and for what reason.

To make it worst.  My youngest son.  Who is still under my protection and it is studying mechanical engineering at a local university wanted to open a Saving Account and he was overwhelmed with the requisites he had been asked.  He was asked for a probe of an income.  He told the officer he was studying and living in his parent's house and he was asked for my income documents.  He was asked for a copy of receipt of payment of any utility at the house and another documents that I found to be incredible.  He desisted to open a saving account.

The law of incorporation also changed.  The stocks should be nominal and the owner of the stocks should be listed.  The stockholder's name should be listed and recorded.  So the list of changes done to please those agencies in Europe is long.   People in Panama have started to think that there are other hidden agenda for this kind of constant attacks to Panama's financial system.  In Europe there are still countries that have a banking systems that are more permissive than Panama and they are working without problems like: Andorra, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Monaco.  There are also some Caribbean islands under the protectorate of some european countries that are doing worst than Panama like Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Grand Cayman, etc.  The recent "Paradise Papers" or what we call "Bahamas papers"  showed that the problems there is worst and bigger. 

So this give me some kind of doubt about the real intention of the EU with Panama, specially France.  Something below the surface is the real intention.   That could be... to kill Panama's financial and banking system to promote and develop their own "banking havens" 

On 12/7/2017 at 8:16 AM, MarieElaine said:

I was lucky that, before I left for Medellin, I was able to get 2 months supply of my meds from Revilla.  They had so little in stock.  I have not refilled here in Medellin but I am hoping I do not have the same problems as Panama.

Marie Elaine

it will be interesting to know how do you do with getting refills in Medellin or importing them into Colombia.  

I can deny the fact that some lawyers, banks, goverment officials, politicians and businessmen in Panama have been involved in scandals that have to do with tax evasion, money laundering and other financial crimes.  But also we can deny the fact that Panama's authorities have done drastic changes in our financial and banking system.  It is hard for a Panamanian citizen or a panamanian corporation to open a banking account today.   I opened a checking account in a panamanian bank for a little corporation I opened and.... my God.   I had an interview with the banking officer that looked like an interrogation scene from a spy movie.  They asked for a lot of papers.  I thought they would ask for the model of the underwear my grandmother used in 1950.  After giving them all the papers and documents they asked me I was giving the manual for operations.  Every wire transfer I do receive from foreign countries I should do a declaration from where it came from and what was the origin of that transaction.  So there were other procedures when dealing with deposits, wire transfers, etc.  We should give all the details of where the money is coming from and for what reason.

To make it worst.  My youngest son.  Who is still under my protection and it is studying mechanical engineering at a local university wanted to open a Saving Account and he was overwhelmed with the requisites he had been asked.  He was asked for a probe of an income.  He told the officer he was studying and living in his parent's house and he was asked for my income documents.  He was asked for a copy of receipt of payment of any utility at the house and another documents that I found to be incredible.  He desisted to open a saving account.

The law of incorporation also changed.  The stocks should be nominal and the owner of the stocks should be listed.  The stockholder's name should be listed and recorded.  So the list of changes done to please those agencies in Europe is long.   People in Panama have started to think that there are other hidden agenda for this kind of constant attacks to Panama's financial system.  In Europe there are still countries that have a banking systems that are more permissive than Panama and they are working without problems like: Andorra, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Monaco.  There are also some Caribbean islands under the protectorate of some european countries that are doing worst than Panama like Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Grand Cayman, etc.  The recent "Paradise Papers" or what we call "Bahamas papers"  showed that the problems there is worst and bigger. 

So this give me some kind of doubt about the real intention of the EU with Panama, specially France.  Something below the surface is the real intention.   That could be... to kill Panama's financial and banking system to promote and develop their own "banking havens" 

Congrats!!!! 

She won... 

Keith

I heard that ATTT and Transit Police adquired new radar guns or speed guns but problems may continue for some time.  It is imposible to put a police or inspector in every road but there is a concern about this issue.

Jim and Judy are right.  I have seen this warning since 2003 on the internet.   

Frankly I have never heard or met anyone who has had this experience in Panama.  

The photographs of the two young police officers killed.

On 10/1/2017 at 5:24 AM, JudyS said:

Who has the power to stop it?  Only the people doing it. Highly unlikely. Where are the comments from the "it's the culture" defenders? I guess even they can't justify this deeply embedded cultural practice. Some things are just wrong, culture or not.

JudyS

Everybody in Panama knows that corruption is bad and is aware of what it is doing.  Look at the recent polls how people in Panama grade or rate this government in terms of transparency and trust.  Less than 26%!!!  It is extremely low.  People dont trust our actual government.  

Who has the power to stop t?? Well the authorities and lawmakers.  But they dont want to make laws that will hurt them in a future so we are not safe yet.  People are asking to change a lot a laws that could make easier to investigate not only the low level government official but the big shots in high positions.  They are involved in corruption because they know they can get away without any consecuences.  

Every new member of the National Assembly promise to make changes in the law and fight the corruption but when they are seated in power they suffer from amnesia and forget the promises.  Everything remains the same.  Nothing change. 

On 9/15/2017 at 8:06 AM, Marcelyn said:

Thanks, Keith, for posting updates for the Water Works project. Appreciate it.

That is what I said.  The Major is doing some kind of inspections to the job.  Keep a constant communication with his office and send him all the concerns you have about this job.  If you tell him that they should leave the roads in good condition and do the jobs according to the specs he will enforce this and will raise his voice to make the corrections needed.

13 hours ago, JudyS said:

I hope somebody notices that the manholes are not flush with the new paving, but are 5 or 6 inches below street level, leaving tire-busting holes in every street.

They should do a concrete type of structures at the pavement level.  That is the specs.  I do really think that it is great that you are always "supervising" those works.  I do suggest that if you have any contact with Major office to inform them about those things that concern you and the community.  He could later ask his people to talk with the contractor and the inspection to do any correction they should do before the government accept the works done and pay them for it.

Dottie

Always at your service... You are welcome.

Dottie

I will suggest to talk with the people of the MIDA or any other farmer about the best and healthy way to solve this problem you had.  I could be possible to find those nematodes available locally.  

Bringing live stuff to Panama is very difficult and has a lot of paperwork to do in advance before importing them.  You will have to go up and down stairs and office to get the approval.  It is a mess.    

Talk to other "colleagues" that have crops similar to yours, visit government agricultural agencies for advise and also as a last chance visit some agricultural stores like MELO but tell them you dont want chemicals or something like that and that you are looking for healthy solutions.

On 9/28/2017 at 9:52 AM, MarieElaine said:

Bribery seems to be a common theme in Panama.  I was told I could avoid a driving test if I gave the instructor $100.  Seems it exists on many levels here.

For its existence and recurrence bribery may need to things.  A person who ask for a bribe.... and specially a person who is willing to pay the bribe.   

If for any reason you wanted to avoid the driving test and pay the bribe.... you are also guilty of the bribery sin.  Dont feed the corrupt people.

AS I SEE IT.

Yes.  There is corruption in our 3 powers in our state and government systems:  Judicial, legislative and Executive.  There are some people that not only crave for the political power but also crave more for the economical power.  People wants money in an easy a quick way.   They want to get rich not matter what.

Why this is happening?  What do we have to do to stop it?  

If everything starts from the government officials and they did it freely and without consecuences what will the normal population will think and do.  If we are living in a place of pirates then you will be a fool if you dont act and become a pirate too.

I have phrase that I use to illustrate this:  When your song is not good, even to clean office, get him to be a politician.  There he could make money fast, doesnt need to go to college and he could get rid of any legal consecuences.

Our lawmakers usually makes laws to protect them from legal actions and investigations about corruption acts they could be involved.  Recently in some countries in South America they did laws where corruptions crimes committed by any government official wont prescribe in time.  They will be open until by any other circunstances should be closed.  Of course our legislators or diputados (senators) reacted.  People is pushing hard because they are tired of those people getting rich with our money.  

The other problem is law enforcement.  Rich people and powerful politicians has economic resources, legal resources and a system that makes them to get away from legal actions against them.  This should be stopped.  But hey!  This happens also in big and developed countries.  The problem is that Panama is a very little country and is very noticeable all the cases that develops.  It is a big scandal here... but what we can do.  People can only protest and demand for justice.  If they commit a crime they should pay for it as any normal citizen.  

This is not good for any country and a lot of people in Panama is fighting to end this bad practice.  It will took some time.  We don't want to have corrupt politicians.  People are asking to not re-elect the actual diputados and for shure the political party of the actual president Varela wont have any chance to win next elections.  People are for some amendments in our constitution.  This president promised to do it but.... he wont shoot himself on his foot.   So he hasn't done it yet.... and seems like he is not going to do that.  

We keep fighting.  We keep trying to the best for our little country.  It is a hard job but not impossible.