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-Voices & Partners+**GET YOUR PANAMA RESIDENCY, CITIZENSHIP AND PASSPORT: Your Gateway to a New Life in Panama with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +Panama, a vibrant and rapidly developing country in Central America, is renowned for its high GDP growth, excellent banking opportunities, and passport benefits. As the only major economy in the region where the U.S. Dollar is the official currency, Panama offers a unique blend of economic stability and cultural diversity.  
 + 
 +**Your Journey to Panama Residency with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa), a top-rated Panamanian law firm, offers comprehensive services to guide you through the process of obtaining residency in Panama. Here's a comprehensive guide to the various routes available: 
 + 
 +**Panama Friendly Nations Visa:** If you're a resident of a Panama-friendly nation, you can qualify for this visa by either investing a minimum of $200,000 in Panamanian real estate or obtaining employment with a Panamanian operating company. After two years, your temporary residence can be upgraded to permanent residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Self-Economic Solvency Visa:** This visa is designed for wealthy foreigners, offering three different options to qualify for permanent residency. These include investing a minimum of $300,000 in real property equity in Panama, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a time deposit, or a combination of both. 
 + 
 +**Panama Business Investor Visa:** Foreigners can apply for this visa as officers or shareholders of a Panama corporation by making a minimum investment of $160,000 capital stock in a Panama business. 
 + 
 +**Panama Reforestation Investor Visa:** In response to the climate crisis, the government has introduced a green visa and a series of reforestation strategies. This program allows investors of government-certified reforestation projects to obtain residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Retired or Pensioned Program:** Retirees or people over 18 who receive a pension or annuity of $1,000 a month for the rest of their lifetime are eligible to apply for this permanent residency visa. 
 + 
 +**Marry a Panamanian Citizen:** If you marry a Panamanian citizen, you can receive permanent residency, provided the marriage is legal and valid! 
 + 
 +**Qualified Investor Program:** This visa offers qualified investors a chance to gain legal permanent residency in as little as 30 days. To qualify, applicants must meet one of three investment requirements. 
 + 
 +**Your Path to Panama Citizenship and Passport with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) offers a straightforward process for becoming a citizen and acquiring a passport. Once you receive a Panamanian passport, your children and future generations will also be entitled to nationality! The process involves gaining residency, maintaining residency for five years, and then applying for citizenship. 
 + 
 +**FAQs** 
 + 
 +To apply for residency, you will need Apostilled documents such as police records, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and a passport. The cost of obtaining residency in Panama varies depending on the method of application. For investment-based residency, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a real estate property is recommended. Dual citizenship is allowed in Panama, although it typically doesn’t recognize dual citizenship. 
 + 
 +**Start Your Journey Today with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)!** 
 + 
 +If you’re looking to become a resident or citizen of this beautiful country, [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) can assist you with real estate purchases, one of the fastest routes to residency. We are highly recommended by our clients for our professionalism, efficiency, and dedication. Our team is committed to making your transition to Panama as smooth 
 + 
 +**GET YOUR PANAMA RESIDENCY, CITIZENSHIP AND PASSPORT: Your Gateway to a New Life in Panama with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +Panama, a vibrant and rapidly developing country in Central America, is renowned for its high GDP growth, excellent banking opportunities, and passport benefits. As the only major economy in the region where the U.S. Dollar is the official currency, Panama offers a unique blend of economic stability and cultural diversity.  
 + 
 +**Your Journey to Panama Residency with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa), a top-rated Panamanian law firm, offers comprehensive services to guide you through the process of obtaining residency in Panama. Here's a comprehensive guide to the various routes available: 
 + 
 +**Panama Friendly Nations Visa:** If you're a resident of a Panama-friendly nation, you can qualify for this visa by either investing a minimum of $200,000 in Panamanian real estate or obtaining employment with a Panamanian operating company. After two years, your temporary residence can be upgraded to permanent residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Self-Economic Solvency Visa:** This visa is designed for wealthy foreigners, offering three different options to qualify for permanent residency. These include investing a minimum of $300,000 in real property equity in Panama, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a time deposit, or a combination of both. 
 + 
 +**Panama Business Investor Visa:** Foreigners can apply for this visa as officers or shareholders of a Panama corporation by making a minimum investment of $160,000 capital stock in a Panama business. 
 + 
 +**Panama Reforestation Investor Visa:** In response to the climate crisis, the government has introduced a green visa and a series of reforestation strategies. This program allows investors of government-certified reforestation projects to obtain residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Retired or Pensioned Program:** Retirees or people over 18 who receive a pension or annuity of $1,000 a month for the rest of their lifetime are eligible to apply for this permanent residency visa. 
 + 
 +**Marry a Panamanian Citizen:** If you marry a Panamanian citizen, you can receive permanent residency, provided the marriage is legal and valid! 
 + 
 +**Qualified Investor Program:** This visa offers qualified investors a chance to gain legal permanent residency in as little as 30 days. To qualify, applicants must meet one of three investment requirements. 
 + 
 +**Your Path to Panama Citizenship and Passport with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) offers a straightforward process for becoming a citizen and acquiring a passport. Once you receive a Panamanian passport, your children and future generations will also be entitled to nationality! The process involves gaining residency, maintaining residency for five years, and then applying for citizenship. 
 + 
 +**FAQs** 
 + 
 +To apply for residency, you will need Apostilled documents such as police records, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and a passport. The cost of obtaining residency in Panama varies depending on the method of application. For investment-based residency, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a real estate property is recommended. Dual citizenship is allowed in Panama, although it typically doesn’t recognize dual citizenship. 
 + 
 +**Start Your Journey Today with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)!** 
 + 
 +If you’re looking to become a resident or citizen of this beautiful country, [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) can assist you with real estate purchases, one of the fastest routes to residency. We are highly recommended by our clients for our professionalism, efficiency, and dedication. Our team is committed to making your transition to Panama as smooth 
 + 
 +**GET YOUR PANAMA RESIDENCY, CITIZENSHIP AND PASSPORT: Your Gateway to a New Life in Panama with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +Panama, a vibrant and rapidly developing country in Central America, is renowned for its high GDP growth, excellent banking opportunities, and passport benefits. As the only major economy in the region where the U.S. Dollar is the official currency, Panama offers a unique blend of economic stability and cultural diversity.  
 + 
 +**Your Journey to Panama Residency with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa), a top-rated Panamanian law firm, offers comprehensive services to guide you through the process of obtaining residency in Panama. Here's a comprehensive guide to the various routes available: 
 + 
 +**Panama Friendly Nations Visa:** If you're a resident of a Panama-friendly nation, you can qualify for this visa by either investing a minimum of $200,000 in Panamanian real estate or obtaining employment with a Panamanian operating company. After two years, your temporary residence can be upgraded to permanent residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Self-Economic Solvency Visa:** This visa is designed for wealthy foreigners, offering three different options to qualify for permanent residency. These include investing a minimum of $300,000 in real property equity in Panama, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a time deposit, or a combination of both. 
 + 
 +**Panama Business Investor Visa:** Foreigners can apply for this visa as officers or shareholders of a Panama corporation by making a minimum investment of $160,000 capital stock in a Panama business. 
 + 
 +**Panama Reforestation Investor Visa:** In response to the climate crisis, the government has introduced a green visa and a series of reforestation strategies. This program allows investors of government-certified reforestation projects to obtain residency. 
 + 
 +**Panama Retired or Pensioned Program:** Retirees or people over 18 who receive a pension or annuity of $1,000 a month for the rest of their lifetime are eligible to apply for this permanent residency visa. 
 + 
 +**Marry a Panamanian Citizen:** If you marry a Panamanian citizen, you can receive permanent residency, provided the marriage is legal and valid! 
 + 
 +**Qualified Investor Program:** This visa offers qualified investors a chance to gain legal permanent residency in as little as 30 days. To qualify, applicants must meet one of three investment requirements. 
 + 
 +**Your Path to Panama Citizenship and Passport with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)** 
 + 
 +[Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) offers a straightforward process for becoming a citizen and acquiring a passport. Once you receive a Panamanian passport, your children and future generations will also be entitled to nationality! The process involves gaining residency, maintaining residency for five years, and then applying for citizenship. 
 + 
 +**FAQs** 
 + 
 +To apply for residency, you will need Apostilled documents such as police records, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and a passport. The cost of obtaining residency in Panama varies depending on the method of application. For investment-based residency, investing a minimum of $300,000 in a real estate property is recommended. Dual citizenship is allowed in Panama, although it typically doesn’t recognize dual citizenship. 
 + 
 +**Start Your Journey Today with [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa)!** 
 + 
 +If you’re looking to become a resident or citizen of this beautiful country, [Legal@Work](http://www.legal.work.pa) can assist you with real estate purchases, one of the fastest routes to residency. We are highly recommended by our clients for our professionalism, efficiency, and dedication. Our team is committed to making your transition to Panama as smooth 
 + 
 +Sure, I've created a simple avatar video for you. You can view it by clicking on the following link: [Legal@Work - Your Gateway to a New Life in Panama](https://app.heygen.com/share/5ffe75b32d334d2fa8ce87134ab6d0b5?sid=openai-plugin) 
 +President Cortizo Cohen gives 
 +management report to the Nation. 
 +* President announces the increase of the Digital Voucher from B/. 100 
 +to B/. 120 from February 1 conditioned on compliance with the rules 
 +dictated by the medical authorities. 
 +* He also announced that from next April he will reconvene the process 
 +for the appointment of two new judges of the Court. 
 +* The Executive will present a proposal to ensure digital equity in 
 +schools, the right to free and compulsory education from preschool to 
 +middle school. 
 +*Cortizo Cohen also announced the creation of the Institute of Planning 
 +for Development, the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology and the 
 +equalization of the Colon Free Zone with the Panama-Pacific Special 
 +Economic Area. 
 +Panama January 2, 2021. The President of the Republic, Laurentino 
 +Cortizo Cohen, presented his report to the Nation on Saturday, January 
 +2, during the installation ceremony of the second ordinary session of 
 +the National Assembly. 
 +At the beginning of what he called "accountability to the Nation," the 
 +president said that as a human being and as a Panamanian, the first 
 +thing is to express to each of those who has lost a loved one in this 
 +battle, the pain and emptiness they suffer today for their loss, who in 
 +many cases could not even say goodbye and of many families that still 
 +have some of their own, fighting for their lives. 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 1 of 14 
 +"As President, believe me, it is the hardest and most difficult daily 
 +burden in the work that I have to carry out because your sadness, your 
 +mournings are shared within the Panamanian family, which is all 
 +children of the same country and is part of the same destiny, to face 
 +the deepest and most devastating health, social and economic crisis 
 +that Panama has experienced," the president said. 
 +This report to the Nation is different because it marks the differences 
 +between the commitments made, the promises fulfilled, the enormous 
 +efforts to find the best balance between health, social, economic and 
 +the percentage of execution of the 2020 budget, "and talking about 
 +that balance may seem easy, but to find it requires prudence and in the 
 +end as president decide the actions that will be executed," he stressed. 
 +Cortizo Cohen recalled that upon taking office he committed himself to 
 +14 priority actions that had to be fulfilled in the first months of his 
 +government. All of them were fulfilled, he said. The first was a new 
 +constitutional order presented to the Assembly in July 2019, the 
 +approval of a new Public Procurement Law, which decreases the 
 +discretion of officials. 
 +The Law on Public Private Partnerships to attract investment and 
 +generate jobs was also approved; the Austerity Program with Efficiency 
 +was executed; the Milk Glass Program that is already 100% of national 
 +production; we executed the Hunger-Free Study Program by buying 
 +national production; the Ministry of Culture and the Agency for the 
 +Attraction of Investments and Export Promotion Pro Panama were 
 +created and in this legislature the legislative proposal for the creation of 
 +the Authority for the Creation of Investments Pro Panama will be 
 +presented, in order to consolidate all efforts to attract good 
 +investments foreign direct. 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 2 of 14 
 +The president recalled that since August 3, 2020, the Banking of 
 +Opportunities Program was created and is in execution; the Let's Get to 
 +Work Plan was established at the district level for the maintenance of 
 +road infrastructure; the law was approved that exempts the payment of 
 +the transfer tax for the current inventory of housing; the law that 
 +extends the preferential interest for housing from 120,000 to 180,000 
 +balboas was approved; the Real Estate Leasing Law to facilitate the 
 +acquisition of homes for young Panamanians and the Unit for the 
 +Competitiveness of Services was created International, the president 
 +detailed in his report. 
 +Finally, as announced in that report, the Government managed the 
 +financing for late payments to suppliers and contractors of the State, 
 +with which it could be fulfilled. 
 +President Cortizo Cohen reiterated that, in the last two governments 
 +without pandemics, without hurricanes ... the country's public debt 
 +tripled, from 11 billion to more than 30 billion. "In other words, those 
 +governments increased the debt by 20 billion balboas without having to 
 +take emergency action," he said. 
 +This Government assumed the country with a deficit of B/. 2,000, 317 
 +million in the 2019 budget and B/. 1.836 million in accounts payable to 
 +suppliers and contractors, health workers, teachers, agricultural 
 +producers, banks for preferential interest, Social Security Fund. 
 +Additionally, responsibility was assumed to cancel B/. 1,155 million in 
 +expired bonds issued by past administrations, Cortizo Cohen said. 
 +"Only those debts not contracted by our government totaled B/. 5,000, 
 +308 million," he added, so it was necessary to resort to external debt 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 3 of 14 
 +because Panama does not have a Central Bank, our country cannot 
 +print money and by February 2020 current income had increased 11% 
 +above projected. 
 +This government has managed 7,776 million balboas of credit 
 +resources according to estimates by the MEF, which allowed financing 
 +the fall in income below budget by 3 billion balboas and to face the 
 +state budget, to the 1,696 million balboas to pay the debt repayments 
 +to maintain the subsidy and monetary transfer programs conditional for 
 +1,651 million balboas. 
 +He explained that the difference of 1,417 million balboas plus the 
 +reduced current income obtained, is what has allowed us to cover the 
 +needs of the health system due to the effects of the pandemic, the 
 +Panama Solidarity Plan, the Digital Vouchers and the Food Bags, the 
 +help for the victims of natural disasters. 
 +"There can be no health without economy, but neither can there be 
 +economy without health," said Cortizo Cohen when referring in his 
 +message to COVID 19, adding that this government put itself at the 
 +forefront of this battle in which difficult decisions must be made trying 
 +to find a balance between life, social welfare and economic activity. 
 +He stressed that this is an unprecedented catastrophe and that there 
 +are no perfect decisions and that despite the constant efforts of many, 
 +the future of this new year is in the discipline and behavior of each one 
 +and that from today that behavior will write the blank page of 2021. 
 +Among the social actions highlighted by Cortizo Cohen to confront the 
 +pandemic, he highlighted the Panama Solidarity Plan (PPS) that 
 +delivers food bags, mega bags for the counties, bonds and digital 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 4 of 14 
 +vouchers benefiting about 1 million, 700,000 people and is carried out 
 +by a national team of almost 7,000 collaborators and volunteers. 
 +To date, 4 million, 784,000, 495 Solidarity Exchanges have been 
 +delivered for a total of B/.113 million balboas and 3.1 million Physical 
 +Bonds worth B/. 294 million balboas. 
 +The PPS that was awarded the Excellence Award, from the Electronic 
 +Government Network of Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by 
 +the OAS and the IDB, has also disbursed 6.9 million Digital Vouchers 
 +have been credited to the card with an assigned value of B / 587 million 
 +balboas. 
 +"I also announce that from Monday, February 1 of this year, the Digital 
 +Voucher at the national level will be increased from 100 to 120 balboas 
 +conditional on compliance with the rules established by the health 
 +authorities," the president said. 
 +Regarding the actions for the acquisition of vaccines, the President of 
 +the Republic said that Panama has been advancing against all odds and 
 +within the First Quarter of this new year, the vaccination process will 
 +begin orderly. 
 +"We have committed 56 million balboas in order to acquire 5.5 million 
 +doses and Panama has ready the logistics, the traceability of the cargo, 
 +its arrival, storage, distribution and then the application and follow-up 
 +required to the vaccinated people, the interinstitutional teams are 
 +organized for the mission," he pointed out. 
 +Regarding the Economic Recovery Plan (PRE) presented to the Nation 
 +on July 1 of last year in the National Assembly, he said that its objective 
 +is to maintain and generate the greatest amount of jobs and gradually 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 5 of 14 
 +recover the economy through 10 areas of action. 
 +The first of them is the control of the Pandemic and the vaccination of 
 +the population; the reactivation of public infrastructure works under the 
 +modality of Public-Private Partnership; the Banking of Opportunities 
 +Program that has already disbursed funds for more than 3.4 million 
 +balboas benefiting 878 new microentrepreneurs and entrepreneurs. 
 +It is followed by the Guarantee Fund, of B/.50 million for micro, small 
 +and medium entrepreneurs that has granted guarantees for an amount 
 +of more than B/. 3.2 million to 937 beneficiaries and a Loan Program 
 +with soft interest rates that as of December 2020 has disbursed B/.125 
 +million balboas through private and state banks. 
 +The Panama Agro Solidario Program that is also part of this reactivation 
 +has approved 1,112 loans in the sum of B/. 26.6 million and disbursed 
 +B/.11 million balboas. 
 +Cortizo Cohen indicated that the economic reactivation of the countries 
 +necessarily involves the participation of the State as an entity that 
 +promotes and facilitates investments "and that is precisely what our 
 +government is doing with the development of public infrastructure 
 +works at the national level." 
 +The president cited the Recovering My Neighborhood Plan that has 
 +already begun in El Chorrillo and has tendered works for a total 
 +investment of B/.86.7 million balboas that has created 6,086 direct jobs 
 +in the neighborhoods; the Solidarity Housing Fund that has B/. 80 
 +million and the Savings Fund of Panama, for the initial payment of the 
 +first home whose application value was increased to the range of B/.70 
 +thousand balboas. 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 6 of 14 
 +Another area of action is the Special Fund for the Strengthening of 
 +Bank Credit for B/. 1 billion, of which B/.500 million will be allocated to 
 +guarantee the solidity of the Panamanian financial system and another 
 +B/.500 million to facilitate the financing of the most affected sectors; 
 +construction, commerce, restaurants, hotels, innovation, science and 
 +technology, agro-industries, industries, exports, storage and 
 +distribution and tourism, he explained. 
 +A period of authorization not to tax was approved based on the CAIR, 
 +receiving 838 applications of which 772 have been approved. 
 +According to ECLAC in a news last December, Panama is the second 
 +country in Latin America after Peru with the highest projection of 
 +economic growth this year projected at 5.5% despite the crisis caused 
 +by the pandemic. 
 +According to ECLAC, international agencies give our country a good 
 +risk rating and warn of an upturn in world trade that will positively 
 +influence the Panama Canal where 6% of world trade passes and an 
 +increase in domestic trade in financial services and especially in 
 +construction, which is a fundamental part of our Economic Reactivation 
 +Plan. 
 +Regarding Phase 1 of the Economic Reactivation Plan, Cortizo Cohen 
 +said that last month after more than 8 years of claims and delays, the 
 +contract was signed to begin the construction of the Children's 
 +Hospital "and after the abandonment by the last two administrations 
 +we have entered to provide 300 beds for patients with COVID, 80 for 
 +intensive care units, and 220 for moderate and semi-intensive patients 
 +in the City of Health." 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 7 of 14 
 +The president listed Line 3 of the Metro whose work begins this 
 +summer with an investment of more than B /. 2,500 million balboas and 
 +that in its construction phase will generate more than 5,000 direct and 
 +indirect jobs to benefit more than half a million residents, of Panama 
 +Oeste. 
 +Also the beginning of the construction of the Extension of Line 1 to Villa 
 +Zaíta whose order to proceed was delivered on December 14 and 
 +already carries out preliminary activities to start the physical work this 
 +January; the rehabilitation and widening of the La Concepción-Cuesta 
 +de Piedra-Volcán highway Province of Chiriquí, investment 84.3 million 
 +balboas, length 31 kms, with an advance of 30%. 
 +Other routes cited in his speech were the rehabilitation of the AtalayaMariato-Quebro- Flores highway in the Province of Veraguas, 
 +investment of 78.6 million balboas, length 113 kms with an advance of 
 +4%; the rehabilitation of the Panamericana-El Jagüito-Calobre 
 +Provinces of Coclé and Veraguas, investment of 16.3 million balboas, 
 +length 31 kms, which presents an advance of 45%; the rehabilitation of 
 +the Pedasí-Los Asientos-Cañas road in the Province of Los Santos with 
 +an investment of 18 million, length of 40 kms and an advance of 60%. 
 +Continuation of the construction and maintenance works for the 
 +expansion and rehabilitation of the road of the Puente de Las 
 +Américas-Arraiján section in the Province of Panama Oeste, investment 
 +370 million balboas length 10 kms advance of 31%. 
 +The Gatún-Battery 35-Achiote-Piña-Rio Indio-Miguel de la Borda 
 +highway is being rehabilitated in the Province of Colón investment of 42 
 +million balboas; Guayabito-Cerro Tólica highway in the Ngäbe-Bugle 
 +region investment 15.3 million balboas and 266 kms of production 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 8 of 14 
 +roads in 7 Provinces that have already been awarded. 
 +The constructions of schools also deserved the mention of the 
 +president, citing that of the Anastasia Mitre School in Palmas Bellas 
 +Costa Abajo de Colón; the Miguel Alba School in Soná which is in 
 +execution with a 39% physical advance, as well as the Simeón 
 +Valderrama School in Coclé with an advance of 96%; the Tonosí IPTA in 
 +Los Santos with an advance of 94% and the Oriente del Riscó School in 
 +Bocas del Toro. 
 +The National Government also delivered the order to proceed for the 
 +complete rehabilitation of the Gato Brujo Salinas Stadium, in La 
 +Chorrera, will do the same for the restart at the end of this month of the 
 +construction of the Roberto Mariano Bula Stadium in the city of Colón. 
 +The construction of a second phase of the Altos de los Lagos project in 
 +Colón with 1,600 housing solutions in execution and the completion this 
 +year of rehabilitation work in the 149 critical areas affected by 
 +Hurricane ETA and Hurricane IOTA, are also included in the program, 
 +while to support the reactivation of the construction industry the 
 +cement import tariff from 10% to 30% was extended until December 
 +2021. 
 +Cortizo Cohen cited 7 projects presented by the Executive aimed at 
 +maintaining the largest number of jobs and facilitating economic 
 +reactivation that were already approved in the third debate of which 6 
 +are today laws of the Republic: 
 +The EMMA Law for the Establishment of Multinational Manufacturing 
 +Companies and the Law that increases the amount of non-refundable 
 +seed capital for micro and small entrepreneurs from B/. 1,000 to B/. 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 9 of 14 
 +2,000 balboas. 
 +The Law that creates a special tax regime reducing income tax for 
 +micro small and medium enterprises and the Law that establishes 
 +temporary measures for the protection of jobs agreed in the dialogue of 
 +the Tripartite Table between the government, organized workers and 
 +the private sector. 
 +In tax matters Cortizo Cohen mentioned Law 160 that extended the tax 
 +amnesty period until December 31, 2020 and Law 161 on tax incentives 
 +for prompt payment. 
 +The Real Estate Leasing Law was also approved to energize the 
 +inventory of real estate. 
 +Regarding the proposal for the creation of Agro-Parques, he indicated 
 +that it was partially vetoed to improve it and sanction it as a law "as 
 +soon as possible" while the corresponding procedure of the 3 debates 
 +is pending the Project of the reduction of salary of public officials that 
 +was presented by the Executive. 
 +"However, this did not prevent many of us from voluntarily donating to 
 +the Panama Solidarity Plan, contributing public officials to date 1.8 
 +million balboas," he said. 
 +On the other hand, through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) projects 
 +to generate jobs to boost the productive activities of the private sector 
 +and increase consumption to put money on the street, the president 
 +said that the government has an aggressive public investment plan. 
 +Among the projects that are evaluated and prioritized within this 
 +modality are the Standard Maintenance Program of 2,000 kilometers of 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 10 of 14 
 +roads and routes, roads that represent 80% of the country's transit 
 +whose first project is the standard maintenance of the Chepo-CañitaAgua Cold Water-Yaviza road that will begin its execution this year; the 
 +Highway that connects the districts of Arraiján and La Chorrera through 
 +Veracruz to Puerto Caimito known as "Via Costanera" and the Northern 
 +Corridor of David. 
 +Regarding the payment of subsidies maintained by his government, 
 +Cortizo Cohen highlighted the Opportunities Network, B/.40 balboas 
 +per month benefiting 40,000,982 families in extreme poverty; the 
 +National Secretariat for Nutrition, B/. 40 balboas per month that 
 +benefits 8,000,449 Panamanians; the U-Pass, formerly known as the 
 +Universal Scholarship B/. 40 balboas per month per student 74 million 
 +balboas have been disbursed for 665,000 students of official and 
 +private schools. 
 +In addition to the U-Pass and to recognize and reward academic 
 +excellence in this administration, students in distinguished positions 
 +outstanding students in sports and fine arts disciplines and students 
 +with disabilities receive a double benefit. 
 +To date, the Double Benefit has been disbursed, more than 21 million 
 +balboas benefiting 82,500 students. 
 +He added the Programs 120 to 65, B/. 120 balboas per month per older 
 +adult benefiting 125 thousand, 463 older adults; Ángel Guardián, B/. 80 
 +balboas per month benefiting 19 thousand, 106 people with disabilities. 
 +the electricity subsidy, per B/. 255 million balboas from March to 
 +December 2020 that covers 1 million 118,000 users or 95% of 
 +customers nationwide. 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 11 of 14 
 +This figure contemplates 90.7 million balboas of the regular subsidy 
 +and 164 million balboas of the Covid-19 subsidy. Subsidies for gas tank 
 +and transport fuel and others are also maintained. 
 +"These economic supports total B/. 1,651 million balboas each year and 
 +somehow benefit ALL Panamanians, the president added. 
 +The President specified that among the measures taken to mitigate the 
 +effects of the pandemic, the National Government established the 
 +conditions for no Panamanian to be suspended from water and 
 +electricity services. 
 +In addition, a second moratorium was approved that extends the 
 +suspension of payments until June 30 that includes: Mortgages, 
 +personal loans, loans to small and medium enterprises, loans to the 
 +agricultural sector, commercial loans, loans to the transport sector, car 
 +loans and credit cards. 
 +In terms of education, the president said that, for the benefit of official 
 +schools, this year a trust will be created between the public and private 
 +sectors that guarantees good internet to most official schools and the 
 +300 most vulnerable districts in the country, the corrections of the Hive 
 +Plan. 
 +And that in 2021 "for the first time we will have access to the internet in 
 +401 educational centers nationwide and 151 of them with fiber optics 
 +thus closing the digital divide in the 5 Panama." 
 +He also announced that in 2021 the year the Ministry of Education will 
 +deliver 25,000 high-capacity tablets also to close the digital divide. 
 +In order to close that digital divide, he pointed out that after the 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 12 of 14 
 +pandemic, 139 schools' access to faster and more efficient fiber optic 
 +internet was changed. Internet access was also installed in 84 schools 
 +in the Ngäbe-Buglé Region, bridging the digital divide in education. 
 +In the legislative sphere, Cortizo reported that this legislative period, 
 +the Executive will present a preliminary bill to ensure digital equity in 
 +educational centers, the right to free and compulsory education with 14 
 +years of schooling from preschool to secondary education. 
 +They will also propose for consideration by the legislature, the 
 +Equalization of the Colon Free Zone with the Panama-Pacific Special 
 +Economic Area, the creation of the Institute of Planning for 
 +Development and the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, as well 
 +as the preliminary bill for the Extinction of Domain. 
 +On the management of public management, the president indicated 
 +that thanks to the effort of the government team, at the close of the 
 +2020 budget and despite the complicated situation, the highest 
 +historical execution of the last 10 years was achieved, registering 
 +commitments by B/. 21 thousand, 560 million. 
 +"Public management has faced unprecedented and extraordinarily 
 +difficult conditions in fiscal 2020. That they extremely tested the 
 +government's ability to find a balance between health, social and 
 +economic," the President stressed. 
 +Of the total committed, accounts were recognized for B/. 20,000, 323 
 +million balboas, or 94% of the commitments and bills for B/.19 
 +thousand, 134 million balboas were paid, representing 94% of the 
 +accounts presented, he detailed. 
 +The president assured that he kept his word given six months ago, to 
 +1/4/21, 1:52 PM 
 +Page 13 of 14 
 +convene a national dialogue, which he did through the so-called 
 +Bicentennial Pact: Closing Gaps. 
 +"The sensible, the convenient, everything that unites us must say 
 +present in the national call of the Pact Closing Gaps, because unlike 
 +other calls and thanks to technology, this is a broadly participatory pact 
 +that is truly democratic and transparent," he stressed. 
 +Cortizo Cohen announced that from next April he will reconvene the 
 +process for the appointment of two new Supreme Court justices. He 
 +specified that at the end of his administration he will have the historical 
 +responsibility of having appointed 6 of the 9 judges that make up the 
 +Supreme Court of Justice. 
 +He reiterated his commitment to appoint "the most suitable people, of 
 +character, committed to the best interests of the country and not to any 
 +President." 
 +The President, concluded his Report to the Nation, paraphrasing 
 +Winston Churchill when he said: "The tasks that have been imposed on 
 +us are not superior to our forces nor are they above what we can 
 +endure. As long as we have faith in our cause and the will to overcome 
 +victory will be within our reach." 
 +They accompanied President Cortizo Cohen in his message to the 
 +Nation on January 2 in the National Assembly, Vice President of the 
 +Republic José Gabriel Carrizo, the Board of Directors of the National 
 +Assembly and the heads of benches.
contribute.1605986281.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020/11/21 19:18 by thedom

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