Moderator_03
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Time for Panama to stop playing the victim
Posted 05/10/2021
The investigation that has just begun to be revealed in the Pandora Papers journalistic project is not a sign of a conspiracy against the country, but rather shows the consequences of turning a blind eye for so many years, to the need for required changes in our institutions.
It will not be easy to get out of the hole that we have dug ourselves by maintaining persistent weaknesses in our legal systems, such as the lack of controls and the prevailing impunity, resulting from the lack of will to enforce laws that are already in place. The arguments about the desire to destroy the reputations of Panamanians or that of the country are a small-town manifestation, especially considering the direct criticisms that these publications make about regulations in the United States. The underlying problem is that although there are tax havens in the developed world, there are proven punishments against those who break the laws.
In the meantime, In Panama, the laws look like an ornament. Let's couple this with the change in attitudes and principles that an exclusive club now considers have to be adopted to participate in the global concert. It is time to abandon the role of victim. The lamentations will not remove Panama from black or gray lists. Actions will be required. LA PRENSA, Oct. 5.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/time-for-panama-to-stop-playing-the-victim
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Protestors against electoral reform bill plan human chain
Posted 04/10/2021
Protests will continue against electoral reforms contained in Bill 544 currently being debated in the National Assembly with a call for the creation of a human chain on Wednesday, October 6.
Protestors will gather on Calle 50, corner of Novey, -old Danté, ar 4 pm in civic protest to how the deputies carry out the debate on electoral reforms. to stop what they have called an "electoral trap."
Aurelio Barría, ex-civilista, tweeted that he will participate in the protest "against the corrupt and deceptive parliamentary dictatorship that squanders public funds for its own benefit, intends to continue without approving electoral reforms / Residue, Penal Jurisdiction, Parity, and Electoral Subsidy."
The changes to project 544, which destroy the one-year work of the Electoral Reform Commission –which brings together all sectors–, have provoked protests from citizens, who demand transparency and equality for a fair contest.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/protestors-against-electoral-reform-bill-plan-human-chain
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Understanding Offshore Accounts
Posted 04/10/2021
AFP - Whether on sunny islands or in less exotic lands, the financial arrangements through tax-advantaged companies (offshore ) revealed by the Pandora Papers are at the center of strategies for wealthy clients to hide their fortune. These are some keys.
What is an 'offshore' company?
-It is a company created in a country or territory in which the beneficiary does not reside, but whose advantages are often of three types: discretion, flexible regulation and an attractive tax regime.The term offshore (literally "off the coast"), historically, referred to the domiciliation of these companies in these island jurisdictions, which base their economic model on the offer of financial services.
The term has continued to be used although many times, today, these companies are based far from the tropics, as in the state of South Dakota (northern United States), to which the Pandora Papers allude. The British Virgin Islands, Belize and Singapore, among others, are also cited.
Unlike the international subsidiaries of companies, offshore companies do not carry out any economic activity in the territory in which they are domiciled.
Capital invested in companies and offshore bank accounts would represent 10.4% of world GDP in 2016, according to the latest figures available from the European Commission.
What are they for?
"There are many reasons" for resorting to them, Ronen Palan, professor of International Economic Policy at the University of London , told AFP . “Keep the secret from the tax authorities, from competitors, from your wife, your husband. The use of these structures seeks to keep a form of secrecy”.In a globalized economy, this type of setup can be useful to large groups, for fiscal optimization purposes.
Its opacity also makes it easier for its beneficiaries to hide assets from the treasury or participate in illegal activities such as corruption, trafficking or the financing of terrorism.
Is it legal?
It is not forbidden to create an offshore company , but you must declare it to the tax authorities of the country where you reside and, if it is the case, pay the corresponding taxes for those assets.In the revelations of the Pandora Papers there are mixed cases of supposed concealment of these montages from the authorities for several million dollars, and fiscal optimization strategies that are legal.
The 11.9 million documents that the research consortium has brought to light cast doubt on the morality of some decisions, such as the recourse to fiscal optimization by political leaders who preach exemplarity, or the legality of financial arrangements that deprive the treasury of considerable sums and that exacerbate inequalities.
What role do intermediaries play?
Law firms, accountants or tax specialists are fundamental pieces of the gear of offshore financial setups and their activity has been called into question in the disclosures.Notaries are also suspected, for allegedly not having verified with sufficient precision the origin of funds in property sales.
After the Panama Papers scandal, in 2016, focused on the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca , the Pandora Papers point to fourteen financial services companies and count more than 29,000 companies with tax advantages.
How to better regulate the practice?
According to Gabriel Zucman, professor at the University of Berkeley"it seems clear that empty shells, companies without a real substance beyond that of escaping taxes and laws, should be prohibited"
"It should be clear: we cannot do business with these types of companies, we cannot, financially, exchange anything with these companies," Lucas Chancel, a professor at the Paris School of Economics , told AFP .
In recent years, progress has been made in some territories, which have agreed to exchange banking information and submit to international regulations.
Worse "specialized services located in tax havens that follow regulations, such as the Cayman Islands and Jersey, have opened entities in other less regulated territories," Ronen Palan warned.
For the economist, the accent should be placed on intermediaries, through the creation of a code of conduct that gives them more responsibilities.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/understanding-offshore-accounts
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Panama Attorney General analyzing report that fingers ex-presidents
Posted 04/10/2021
The Office of the Attorney General is analyzing the content of the information revealed so far in the" Pandora Papers " and is awaiting further elements to verify whether there is any basis for the initiation of a criminal investigation.
This, after the journalistic investigation on offshore companies, which revealed secret agreements and hidden assets of more than 330 politicians and high-level officials, in more than 90 countries and territories, including Panama.
They emphasize that, aware of the interest that the issue has generated at the national and international level, that all conduct with criminal nuances will be the subject of an objective investigation, which will include the practice of useful procedures to determine the existence of the crime and the identification of the authors and participants.
In addition, they will offer the international criminal cooperation required by other states and jurisdictions, to effectively combat all forms of commission of crimes.
The investigation of the journalistic consortium was based on the leak of 119 million documents from 14 financial services companies around the world.
The names of the former Panamanian presidents, Ernesto Pérez Balladares , Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela surfaced in the report.
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Three former presidents named in “Pandora Papers” probe
Posted 03/10/2021
Three former Panama presidents are among at least 336 politicians from 90 countries named the Pandora Papers bombshell released on Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Named are: Ernesto Pérez Balladares (1994-1999), Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019).
The Panama government fears that the disclosure of documents linked to alleged secret accounts linked to local firms will further affect the reputation of the country.
The new disclosure is based on 11.9 million documents, about accounts and companies in some thirty jurisdictions, including Panama, supposedly used to hide money and evade the payment of taxes, among other activities. The consortium obtained the documents and shared them almost two years ago with more than 600 journalists from some 150 organizations in 117 countries.
The 336 politicians are distributed among 12 firms, among which there are several Panamanians reports La Prensa 161 would-be clients of the Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) law firm and 97 of the Trident Trust. The rest is divided as follows: Asiaciti Trust (25), OMC Group (21), SFM (18), DADLAW (17), Alpha (11), Fidelity (10), AABOL (8), Commence BVI (4), Cititrust (3) and GDG (2). Alcogal and OMC Group (Overseas Management Corporation) are Panamanian.
According to a note from the ICIJ, more than 2 million of the 11.9 million confidential documents are from Alcogal (more than 3 million correspond to Trident), with information on more than 14,000 offshore companies from Panama, Belize, and British Virgin Islands (BVI,)) and other jurisdictions created by Alcogal for more than 15,000 clients around the world, the majority since 1996.
Wrong image
Alcogal replied that the information disclosed by the ICIJ is "inaccurate, outdated and projects a wrong image about the activities of our firm."“Our internal audit did not find any evidence of non-compliance in any of the cases mentioned by the ICIJ. In fact, since our founding in 1985, we have never faced charges related to improper activities, much less have we been convicted of any type of illegal activity in the jurisdictions where we work,” the firm said in a statement on Sunday.
The ICIJ refers to a letter from Alcogal in which the firm assures it that the incorporation of companies is only one aspect of the portfolio of legal services it offers and that it complies with all the legal requirements in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates.
The leak of documents takes place two days after it was announced that on September 16, the Panamanian government sent a note to the ICIJ, given the possibility that the investigation may damage the name of the country, as already happened in 2016 with the Panama Papers, on the activities of the now-defunct firm Mossack Fonseca.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/three-former-presidents-named-in-pandora-papers-probe
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Government responds to Pandora Papers
Posted 03/10/2021
Reacting to the release of the Pandora Papers a statement from the Presidency said that “without prejudice to the freedom of the press and information that we strongly respect, and with the intention of avoiding sensationalist assessments such as those that have caused us great harm in the past, we are working in a cohesive and inter-institutional manner, determined to counteract the negative repercussions of any tangential scandal in which they want to involve the country. "
The note from the Government of Panama indicates that, through the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the management team of the ICIJ has been informed to follow "its publications carefully and that they should avoid references without informative justification associated with the country."
The Panamanian government stated that “the Superintendency of Non-Financial Subjects, in turn, will immediately supervise the obligated subjects of our jurisdiction mentioned in the publication, as part of our timely response, for the protection of the country's image and reputation ”.
It was reported that the " General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) will initiate the processes of inspection of natural and/or legal taxpayers in the Republic of Panama indicated by the same publication and will attend to the exchange of information with the aforementioned jurisdictions."
Panama has signed international cooperation agreements such as the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA), the Multilateral Convention to Implement Measures Related to the Tax Treaty to prevent base erosion and the transfer of benefits (MLI), and Mutual Administrative
Assistance. in Tax Matters (MAC) and has implemented the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) project on Base Erosion and Profit Transfer (BEPS) to address tax evasion, improve the coherence of international tax regulations and ensuring a more transparent and competitive international tax environment.
"As a result of the continuous work that we are carrying out, in a single year, due to breach of Panamanian regulation, more than 50% of the 762,709 legal entities registered in the Public Registry were suspended, we promote constant supervision of the performance of resident agents and firms of local lawyers, and we comply with the exchange of tax information with 66 countries through the DGI, "the statement said.
President Cortizo said: "It is our duty to defend the interests of the nation and fight so that the name of the country is not associated with activities that we repudiate and that we fight with the law.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/goverment-responds-to-pandora-papers
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Government moves in advance of Pandora’s Box revelations
Posted 03/10/2021
The Government of Panama has used an American law firm to contact the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), given the possibility that the name of the country is "defamed" by the alleged massive leak of documents linked to one or more law firms and the publication of a journalistic investigation labeled “The Panama Papers.”
The note, sent by J. Erik Connolly, of the American law firm firm Benesch, Friendlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, makes it clear that the communication “should not be interpreted or understood as an attempt to stop the investigation and publication of relevant topics. ”, And emphasizes the respect of the Government of Panama for freedom of the press and the work of the ICIJ.
However, the letter warns that "whatever the perception that the ICIJ had of Panama in 2016, in terms of due diligence requirements and the supervision of law firms, it does not resemble the Panama of today".
It also adds that the name of the previous investigation, Panama Papers, resulted in a "defamatory mark" that the country still carries, which is why it seeks to "open a dialogue with ICIJ" to prevent something like this from being repeated, five years later.
The ICIJ announced on, Saturday, October 2, that the new investigation, entitled Pandora Papers, is the "most extensive exposition of financial secrecy" that the consortium has carried out.
In the first line of the long note, the US law firm identifies itself as a representative of the Government of Panama to address the issue. In a footnote, he details that the firm works "in the event that the ICIJ or other US media publishes a defamatory article or articles and a lawsuit must be filed on behalf of a member of the government."
La Prensa contacted the Foreign Ministry press office to find out if the ICIJ has responded to the note sent. At press time, there was no response.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/government-moves-in-advance-of-pandoras-box-revelations
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Panama police apologize for hijab stitgmatization
Posted 02/10/2021
AFP - The National Police of Panama apologized on Friday for the participation of some agents in a training run by Israelis, where they target images of people who appear to be wearing Arab clothing.
“We are respectful of cultural, religious, and ethnic differences. We regret that during an act in which as an institution we participated as guests, a situation outside the nature of our mission and duty arose, ”said the Panamanian police.
"We wish to present our apologies to those who have felt affected," added the institution.
The controversy occurred after the Twitter accounts of the National Police and the Panamanian Israeli Chamber of Commerce published photos of an apparent police training, which were later deleted.
In one of the images, a man appears pointing a gun at a photograph where an armed person is seen wearing what appears to be a kufiyya (Arab headscarf) or a hijab (Muslim woman's veil that covers the head and shoulders ) and a firearm.
"With the aim of strengthening relations between Israel and Panama, our units of the Diplomatic Headquarters Police service were trained in different shooting techniques by instructors from the Israeli Embassy in Panama," said the publication that the National Police later removed from Twitter
These events are "clearly a stigmatization" that promotes "violence and racism so that anyone who wears a hijab or something similar can be classified as a terrorist," the Panamanian Committee for Solidarity with Palestine said in a note.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-police-apologize-for-hijab-stitgmatization
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Dental technician 58, accused of killing lover 23,
Posted 02/10/2021
A judge of guarantees, Tulia Morelos, decreed this Saturday, October 2, the precautionary measure of provisional detention of a 58-year-old dental technician, accused of femicide
The Public Ministry (MP) was represented by the deputy prosecutor for homicide and femicide, Marvin Vargas, said stressed that the penalties for this crime range from 25 to 30 years. Authorities have six months to complete the investigation.
Elizabeth Lucila Guillén Fonseca, a 23-year-old Nicaraguan, had been missing since August 24, On the night of September 30, her body was located inside a septic tank in Chepo.
The accused had met Guillén Fonseca when the young woman arrived in the country with her mother - seven years ago - and they were neighbors in the December 24 sector.
Mi Diario reports that they had a romantic relationship and that remorse led him to turn himself in.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/dental-technician-58-accused-of-killing-lover-23
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68 Cuban migrants rescued from Darien jungle
Posted 02/10/2021
Some 68 Cubans, including 16 children, abandoned by smugglers, were rescued from the Darien by Panama’s Border Protection Service (Senafront) on Friday, October 1.
Units of the Pacific Battalion Jaqué located the migrants and with the support of artisanal boats from the Guayabo community, completed the rescue operation.
The Senafront reported that the migrants had been abandoned in Playa Cucaracha (Colombia) by supposed Colombians who were engaged in illegally moving them to Panama. The rescued migrants were taken to the Jaqué Health Center in Darién for proper medical attention.
Panama faces an increase in migrants on the Darien border, which led it to appeal to the international community at the 76th session of the United Nations Assembly, to make a joint effort as soon as possible, with coordinated strategies and resources to anticipate a regional humanitarian crisis of serious proportions.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/68-cuban-migrants-rescued-from-darien-jungle
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Adjusting the truth in a public trial
Posted 02/10/2021
The trial that is currently being held for the illegal wiretapping case is followed by the population, not because of the facts and statements that are given during the hearings, but through the versions of the parties, so there remains a doubt about what really happens in those four walls that isolate from public attention an issue that is precisely public, such as the use of state resources and personnel for political and petty purposes.
The trial tries to prove who ordered and profited from the illegal espionage. That is why the judges must allow this trial to be observed by anyone who wants it, through direct transmission, as was done in the hearings that were held in the Supreme Court (when that body had jurisdiction) or as it is occasionally done exclusively for journalists accommodated in a press room, set up next to the court. The trial evidence that required confidentiality has already been evacuated, so there is no reason for us to continue listening only to the opinions of the parties, but rather that we can all conclude what is really happening, without intermediaries to lie or narrate what that suits them.
The advanced trial should already be public so that we can all draw a conclusion about what is really happening, without intermediaries who lie or narrate what is convenient for them. This trial, advanced as it goes, should already be public. so that we can all draw a conclusion about what is really happening, without intermediaries who lie or narrate what is convenient for them. The trial, as it moves forward should already be public – LA PRENSA, Oct. 2.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/adjusting-the-truth-in-a-public-trial
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No escape for errant drivers after Oct. 11
Posted 01/10/2021
From October 11, the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT) will begin the application of traffic fines with a new digital device that will allow the registration of infractions online.
In total, 1,500 ticket booths will be operated by ATTT inspectors and agents of the National Directorate of Traffic Operations (DNOT) of the National Police, with the aim of “eliminating human error”.
"By scanning the control number or identity card of the offender, there will be access to a wide range of information from both the driver and the vehicle," the ATTT said in a statement.
The new device has a high-resolution camera that allows the vehicle and the offending driver to be captured, "leaving behind the disputes between the ATTT and users about ghost tickets."
The institution explained that the registration of the fine will be instantaneous in the database; Both the effective management of the inspectors on the street, as well as that of the personnel in charge of registering and collecting the ballots, will be supervised, avoiding “irregularities in the process”.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/no-escape-for-errant-drivers-after-oct-11
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Panama doctor earns second term in UN post
Posted 01/10/2021
Panamanian doctor Natalia Kanem has been re-appointed to her position as executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for a second four-year term, the organization reported Friday.
With more than 30 years of experience in the fields of preventive medicine, public and reproductive health, social justice, and philanthropy, Kanem began his career at UNFPA in 2014 as a representative in Tanzania.
In 2016, she was appointed assistant to the secretary-general and deputy executive director, before becoming a year later the head of the Fund that is in charge of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence, as well as safeguarding the rights of women in the United Nations system.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/panama-doctor-earns-second-term-in-un-post
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Panama’s role in the Global Village
Posted 01/10/2021
Everything seems to indicate that Panama will remain on the list of non-cooperative territories with countries of the European Union in tax matters, a list that will be updated next week. Panama has been fighting for years to get out of those black and gray lists in fiscal matters, despite the fact that international organizations usually change the rules of their considerations from one day to the next, but it does not leave one when it is already in another. Why does it happen so often? Unfortunately, it must be admitted: we are an openly tolerant and permissive society when it comes to corruption. We live and tolerate criminal acts against the State; justice does not reach politicians, who invariably succeed in any corruption or money laundering process, even in cases of common crimes in which they are involved. Consequently, In the face of the tolerance we have developed, there is simply no awareness of the extent of staying year after year on those lists. The world long ago became what the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan called a "global village." Consequently, Panama cannot remain isolated. We are part of that "village" and we have to live by its rules. -/By hook or by crook, but one day we will have to understand – LA PRENSA, Oct. 1
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/panamas-role-in-the-global-village
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MARTINELLI TRIAL: Protected witness ends 7days of testimony
Posted 01/10/2021
After seven days on the stand, the protected witness completed his statement in the trial of former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) for alleged illegal wiretapping.
At noon on Thursday the trial court terminated the participation of this witness after the defense of the ex-president concluded with the cross-examination of the statements made to questions from the Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime.
The participation of the protected witness - a former agent of the National Security Council (CSN) - is one of the reasons why, on November 20, 2020, the Superior Court of Appeals annulled the “not guilty” ruling of August 9 of 2019, in favor of the former president, and ordered a new trial. According to court, his testimony had not been adequately assessed.
Carlos Herrera Delegado, lawyer for Mitchell Doens, assured that with his new participation, the witness was forceful in relating the former president to the interceptions carried out between 2012 and 2014.
From his statements, according to Herrera Delegado, it was established that Ronny Rodríguez, a former CSN agent, was the person who received the instructions on who to prod or do some kind of follow-up reports La Prensa
For Herrera Delegado, the witness reinforced the theory of the case presented by the prosecution, so that now the judges Iveth Francois Vega, Jennifer Saavedra Naranjo and Marysol América Osorio have a clearer picture of how the events occurred in building 150 of Quarry Heights, where the CSN facilities operated.
The judges accepted protection measures for the witness, such as the prohibition of divulging his name, his image, his voice, and his testimony. But those close to the former president have shown videos in which they allude to this witness and try to discredit his story.
For Herrera Delegado, the witness statement made it clear that the CSN acquired three different teams to carry out the interceptions. He also explained the details of the training received to correctly handle the equipment.
In addition, most of the interceptions were directed at politicians, especially the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD).
The defense of the former president assured that during the cross-examination, the protected witness entered into contradictions and that his testimony is full of inconsistencies. Lawyer Alfredo Vallarino said that the prosecution has continued to use this witness, despite knowing that his statement contains serious inaccuracies reports La Prensa.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-trial-protected-witness-ends-7days-of-testimony
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After 5 years no lessons learned from Panama Papers
Posted 01/10/2021
Five years after the “ Panama Papers” revealed the activities of the Mossack Fonseca law firm, Transparency International (TI) based in Berlin, queries whether anything has been learned.
"Mossack Fonseca was just one of the many law firms that continue to operate as corporate service providers, incorporating companies in offshore jurisdictions on behalf of clients, acting as shareholders and nominee directors, and managing these companies for an annual fee," says TI, pointing to gaps in the regulations on corporate property and deficiencies and delays in the creation of a registry of final beneficiaries.
TI refers to the role of resident agents in the creation of offshore companies and the exchange of information. In the event of an investigation, the authorities request information from the corporate service provider and, "if they are lucky", this "will reveal the information in time, this information will be accurate and the provider will not notify its client in the meantime."
The note also refers to the lack of updating of the information and the fact that the authorities have to indicate the reason for which they are requesting the details about the owner, which can lead to the agents informing their clients.
"Five years on, it seems unthinkable that such a flawed model remains in force and that it be considered a viable option in a country's anti-money laundering framework."
One of Panama's bets to improve access and exchange of information is the creation of a registry of final beneficiaries. Although it was approved in March 2020 the Panamanian registry of final beneficiaries “only exists on paper”, while the “Government has not taken steps to adopt the regulation and it does not seem likely that they will take place in the near future ".
"Panama continues to rely on poorly supervised resident agents, and Panamanian companies continue to be considered a secret weapon to commit crimes and launder money," the note said.
The Panamanian Chapter of Transparency International has warned that the regulation, as it stands, has gaps that will affect its effective implementation, such as its limited access -the proposed registry would be private and not public- and the lack of responsibilities to ensure the veracity and accuracy of the information provided.
The Panamanian organization has also questioned that the bill does not include the General Directorate of Public Procurement as one of the competent authorities to request information from the registry and has stressed that the focus should not only be to provide information when required by authorities. foreign countries, which in turn is linked to Panama's efforts to get out of the Financial Action Group's gray list, but to take advantage of them internally to promote transparency in the country.
“An effective beneficial ownership regime would do much more than help Panama remove its name from the gray lists. There is growing evidence in countries that have already put in place effective beneficial ownership disclosure systems that such a system would also help authorities to be better equipped to detect and combat corruption, conflicts of interest in public procurement It would also support businesses and help increase trust and integrity in the business and financial sectors. "
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/after-5-years-no-lessons-learned-from-panama-papers
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$80 Million in Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal
Panama is planning the construction and expansion of a liquefied natural gas terminal in an area of eleven thousand square meters in the Port of Cristobal, Telfers Island.
Monday, September 27, 2021
"The project to be built in Panama focuses on the expansion of the regasification and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution capacity of the North Coast Terminal (Costa Norte Lng Terminal). Consequently, the project is partially located at the North Coast Terminal, on Telfers Island, in the Port of Cristobal, in the town of Cristobal, district of Colón, province of Colón.
The north coast terminal has an area of 10,860.54 m2 of land and 5,425.12 m2 of water (seabed). All of this is located within the Panama Ports Company concession.
The north coast terminal currently has a tank with a storage capacity of 180,000 m3 of liquefied natural gas, a dock for vessels of between 3,000 m3 and 160,000 m3, a regasification facility, and a truck loading terminal for LNG distribution.
Adjacent to the terminal area is the Atlantic natural gas generation plant with a generating capacity of 381 MW, the plant and terminal auxiliary buildings, as well as the administrative buildings.
Installation of a 20-inch, 1.5 km underground gas pipeline consisting of cryogenic piping, valves, couplings, a hipps (high integrity pressure protection system) high-pressure management system, and a measurement and monitoring system.
https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/80_Million_in_Liquefied_Natural_Gas_Terminal
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US withdraws sanctions on dissolved Waked companies
SOHO shopping center once belonged to Waked
Posted 30/09/2021
The United States has withdrawn the sanctions imposed five years ago on four Panamanian companies once linked to Abdul Waked but already dissolved.
They are Soho Panamá, SA, Waked Internacional Panamá, SA, Abif Investment, SA and Grupo La Riviera Panamá, SA.
“The companies were removed from The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury list because they no longer exist," said the United States embassy in Panama, on Thursday, September 30 in a statement.
"Today's announcement does not affect the state of the La Riviera chain of stores, which continues to be blocked," said the embassy press release. The chain operates mainly in shopping centers and duty-free at Tocumen airport.
The four are part of a group of 68 companies that were listed by OFAC on May 5, 2016 , for being linked to an alleged network led by Abdul and Nidal Waked. Then seven other people were also included in the list, all relatives or lawyers of the alleged leaders.
OFAC, which constantly reviews and updates its list, had already withdrawn several of those sanctioned in May 2016; however, Abdul and Nidal Waked (who was even arrested in Colombia and extradited to the United States, where he served a sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to launder money) remain on the list.
"OFAC frequently updates its list of designated persons and blocked entities, to ensure that the list only includes active companies, so that the private sector can have up-to-date information about sanctioned companies," says the embassy statement.
“Currently active individuals and entities continue to be designated by OFAC. Their situation has not changed.”
The United States prohibits its citizens and businesses from conducting financial or commercial transactions with any entity identified by OFAC.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/us-withdraws-sanctions-on-dissolved-waked-companies
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Licenses and plates extended to Oct. 31
Posted 30/09/2021
Driver's licenses with an expiration date in the months of August, September, and October will remain in force until October 31 of this year, says the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT).
The institution reported that this decision has been coordinated with the National Directorate of Traffic Operations of the National Police.
In addition, the provisional suspension of the application of the penalty for Contempt, contained in Article 240 of the Traffic Regulations, continues until October 31, 2021, in order to avoid inconveniences that at this time may cause the retention of the license or vehicle.
Another measure that has been applied is the extension for one more month of the provisional suspension of the violation application for driving with an expired license plate, until October 31, 2021, which applies to vehicles with a license plate whose expiration date corresponds to the months of July, August and September.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/licenses-and-plates-extended-to-oct-31
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Panama will stay on EU tax blacklist
Posted 29/09/2021
The European Union (EU) will keep Panama on its blacklist of non-cooperative jurisdictions in tax matters, a decision that would be made next week, while three territories would go from the black list to the gray list.
Sources close to the European Council confirmed the information on Panama, although they also explained that the formal decision must still be approved by the EU finance ministers at a meeting on October 5.
The Reuters agency said that according to documents it has seen, EU tax experts recommend the de-listing of Dominica, Anguilla and Seychelles, mainly because they have committed to passing a supplementary review of their tax systems with the Global Transparency Forum. and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Pending the results of the evaluations, the three countries would be put on the gray list.
The agency points out that the recommendations are usually approved, although this time a member state has expressed reservations about one of the jurisdictions, without offering further details.
Panama would have requested to be removed from the list, but "unfortunately it lacks a commitment to repeal or modify its damaging foreign source income exemption regime," the agency says, citing an EU document.
The countries listed are subject to greater controls on transactions and are exposed to tax measures adopted individually by European countries, such as those that Germany would begin to apply next year .
According to the proposal seen by Reuters, no country would be added to the black list, which would be made up of nine territories: American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu
https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/panama-will-stay-on-eu-tax-blacklist
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Denunciation – a return to the Middle Ages
Posted 29/09/2021
Dr. Eduardo Ortega Barría and Dr. Julio Sandoval were denounced for committing a crime against honor, questioning the intelligence of a health professional who disclosed information that they considered incorrect about the Covid-19 vaccines. The sin of calling someone "ignorant" reached biblical proportions in the days of anti-vaccination.
Note that I used the word "sin" and not "crime", because, at bottom, this is a matter of faith, not criminal law.
The Public Ministry admitted the complaint and, despite the fact that clandestine vaccination remains unclear and there is a long litany of implausible cases that require legal action, the Panamanian State will spend thousands of dollars in a judicial process without foot or head.
Imagine the trial audience: How is a person's ignorance demonstrated? Perhaps an intelligence test must be applied, one of those that measures the coefficient. Perhaps phrases and statements need to be rated by a panel of reputable scientists and healers, for there to be fairness in the assessment of comments about coronavirus vaccines.
If this continues like this, tomorrow we will have someone denouncing biologists because they said that human beings descend from primates. If things turn out to be good, we would have the representatives of the different religions established in Panama suing and suing each other, so that justice determines who is the representative of God on this planet.
After such a show of justice, Tulivieja and La Tepesa will come to denounce, for gender violence, the grandparents of our grandparents who attributed immoral and unpious qualities to them.
Criminal justice and justice in general terms deal with facts and allegations in this regard. Those facts are demonstrated according to the rules of the scientific method and the principles of the theory of knowledge.
The nonsense of denouncing two excellent Panamanian doctors, who have sacrificed their time, their knowledge, and their reputation to serve the health of everyone in this country, demonstrates a structural conflict in health management. At the same time that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) distributes Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines based on science, that same institution distributes ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine potions in the assistance kits for those infected, whose effectiveness, to combat Covid-19, it is based on pseudoscience.
In other words, in theological terms, Minsa wants to be with God and with the Devil. This actually means that the scientific method is in the intensive care unit in Panama and that the RT of superstition and infodemic is at 100 to 1. The deafening silence of the Medical College of Panama, the National Negotiating Medical Commission, The Association of Physicians, Dentists and the like of the Social Security Fund, the National Bar Association, and the main universities in the country, is the clearest evidence that between indifference and fear there is deep complicity. That union and civic cowardice can lead us to a scenario in which we reach the burning of books and libraries and people turn their backs on basic health standards, to pay attention to social networks.
A very close example tells us how poisonous this can be: in the United States, 78% of Republicans believe that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election and that the presidency of Joe Biden is a huge fraud. That big lie has many feet because there are politicians, journalists, media and social networks that thrive on that fallacy.
Likewise, in the Middle Ages there were many kings, religious authorities, and merchants who prospered on big lies. In that world, the inquisition, the burning of witches, and the sale of indulgences were compatible. Today, the sins and lies about vaccination are as or more dangerous than those of the Middle Ages.
Rodrigo Noriega, La Prensa
https://www.newsroompanama.com/media-watch/denunciation-a-return-to-the-middle-ages
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Filling the spaces left by Odebrecht
Posted 29/09/2021
There is no doubt that empty spaces tend to fill up. After the Odebrecht scandal, its place seems to have been taken by local companies that were previously small, but are now construction giants, a change in status that could well have been reached using shortcuts, as happened in the Blue Apple case, another major scandal in which local and foreign companies admitted to having paid bribes to officials of Ricardo Martinelli's government (2009-2014). One of those companies is now the star in the fiefdom of the deputy president of the PRD. Yesterday, in a ceremony in which the President of the Republic and several ministers of State participated, the Bocatoreño deputy Benicio Robinson accompanied in his province his new best friend, the owner of the construction company Bagatrac, to receive two new contracts, totaling more than $100 million. With these new works, Bagatrac now accumulates –only in Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí– a portfolio of public works that totals more than $270 million. Why is a deputy - in this case Robinson - personally involved in delivering contracts to a company that has a reputation for paying bribes for public works? Are these, perhaps, the spaces left by Odebrecht that local companies now fill? – LA PRENSA, Sep. 29.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/filling-the-spaces-left-by-odebrecht
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Tocumen axes Odebrecht airport contract
Posted 28/09/2021
Tocumen International Airport, SA has terminated the contract with CNO, SA - as the Brazilian Odebrecht is now named - for non-compliance in the construction of the new passenger terminal.
The cancellation of the contract entails the disqualification of the company (which has confessed to paying bribes in a dozen countries, including Panama) from participating in public works tenders and contracting with the Panamanian State.
The decision was announced on Tuesday, September 28, by the general manager of Tocumen, Raffoul Arab, who explained in a statement that the official notification to ASSA Compañía de Seguros, SA about the breach of the clauses agreed with the contractor has already been proceeded. "To guarantee the completion of the work through the execution of the performance bond and protect the best interests of the State."
ASSA has the performance bond for the work, for $229 million.
The last addendum to the agreement between the company and the State established that the work should be completed by September 30, 2021, but after a new inspection it was known that "as of September 27, 640 pending elements were still registered." Originally, in February 2020, 10,547 “pending” were detected, which the company had the obligation to correct.
Odebrecht had asked that the deadline to complete these pending works be extended until December 31.
Tocumen stated that, despite the cancellation, it will guarantee the operation and start-up of the new terminal, measuring 116,000 square meters, whose construction began in 2012 and was partially released in January 2019, when Panama hosted the World Day of Youth (WYD).
The construction of the new terminal has not only taken a long time; its price has also increased from $679 million to $ 917 million. Along the way, eight addenda were agreed.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/tocumen-axes-odebrecht-airport-contract
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Sunwing restarts direct tourist flights from Canada
Posted 28/09/2021
Sunwing Airlines has announced that it will restart direct tourist flights from Canada to Scarlett Martínez International Airport, Río Hato, from November 12.
The company will make a weekly flight during the first month and from December 13 it will increase the frequency to two weekly flights. , according to information provided by the airline to Tocumen, SA, a state company that manages the air terminal located in Río Hato.
The Sunwing airline offers Canadian tourists all-inclusive packages in Playa Blanca hotels, with the option of enjoying other activities.
The charter service is expected to help boost the economy in the central region of the country like Coclé, Panamá Oeste and Azuero.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/sunwing-restarts-direct-tourist-flights-from-canada
The "Panama Papers" aka "Pandora Papers"
in Corruption, Fraud, and Scandals - Investigations / Prosecutions
Posted
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/panamas-pandora-bunker