Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa
Panama has entered a new phase of corporate tax oversight after regulators published Executive Decree No. 32 in the Official Gazette, formalizing economic substance requirements for certain foreign-source passive income. The shift puts tax compliance Panama at the center of a broader effort to align local corporate structures with international expectations and strengthen the country’s reputation as a reliable business hub. What the Economic Substance Decree Actually Changes The newly regulated framework falls under Chapter II of Title I of Book IV of the Fiscal Code. It targets passive income earned outside Panama by entities domiciled in the country. Authorities…
A sharp escalation in respiratory syncytial virus infections has put Panamanian health authorities on high alert, with Panama virus surveillance data showing incidence jumped from 5 cases per 100,000 people to 15.6 cases per 100,000 in about ten weeks. By epidemiological week 33, the country had confirmed 19 deaths tied to the virus, and infants under one year old accounted for more than half of those fatalities. Panama City’s specialized children’s hospital, Hospital del Niño, detected 369 cases between February and May alone. Panama Virus Surveillance Detects a Steady Climb in Infections Dr. Yadira de Moltó from the Ministry of…
Finally a Friendly Nation! A New Phase began this week for Ecuadorian professionals, investors, and families, who gained a pathway to permanent residence in Panama as the Central American nation formally welcomed Ecuador into its list of friendly countries. The decision underscores deepening Panama-Ecuador relations and sets the stage for expanded trade and security cooperation between the two nations. Executive Decree Number 16, published in Panama’s Official Gazette, opens the door for Ecuadorian citizens to apply for permanent residence under the “nationals of friendly countries” subcategory. The process is not automatic though. Applicants must still satisfy all requirements, procedures, and…
Danish companies are positioning themselves to lay a submarine power cable that would anchor the electrical grid interconection between Panama and Colombia, a project that could stitch together power markets from Central America to the Andes. Panama’s foreign ministry confirmed the interest after a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Guevara Mann and Denmark’s ambassador to Panama, Jens Godtfredsen, where consultation processes for the infrastructure took center stage. The proposed link carries broad implications for regional energy security. It would allow electricity to flow between two systems with very different generation costs, demand patterns, and resource mixes, opening the door…
Across Panama’s lowland farms and forested edges, a silent health emergency continues to unfold every time a farmer, child, or domestic animal crosses paths with a venomous snake. Health officials say snakebite prevention Panama must stay at the center of rural public health planning, even as new data show a modest decline in total cases. The national incidence rate sits near 50, which represents improvement compared with earlier periods but still reflects a persistent threat for communities in Chiriquí, Coclé, Veraguas, and Darién. Humberto Vanegas Pereira, a general physician with the Ministry of Health (Minsa), underscored that Panama’s tropical forests…
A consumer protection case that began with accusations of price fixing in three Panamanian towns has concluded with a $66,000 Anti Ice Monopoly Settlement approved by the national Cabinet Council. Seven ice producers and distributors will each contribute between $10,000 and $20,000 to the National Treasury, ending litigation that dated back to 2022 over alleged absolute monopolistic practices in the small bag ice retail market. Seven Companies Resolve Years Long Market Dispute The settlement involves an array of ice businesses operating across Panama’s interior provinces. Hielería Azuero, S.A., Hielo Oriental, S.A., Hielo Cristal Central del Istmo, S.A., Hielo Cristal Las…
A wave of counterfeit weight-loss injectables has pushed Panamanian health authorities to escalate their campaign against illegal medication sales, with regulators flagging at least 17 specific products that have been circulating through informal channels and online marketplaces. The National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs issued a formal health alert just days ago, naming medications like Tirzepatide injection 10 mg, Retatrutide 10 mg/mL solution for injection, and a host of peptide-based treatments including GHK-Cu, BPC-157, and TB-500, all promoted for weight control or obesity treatment without proper authorization. Public Health Risks Behind Counterfeit Medicines Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo didn’t mince…
President José Raúl Mulino has intervened personally in a growing disagreement over how the Panama Maritime Authority manages access to its institutional records, pushing the topic of maritime transparency Panama into the national conversation. The AMP confirmed it will convene an extraordinary session of its Board of Directors on Tuesday, September 1, to revisit Resolution JD No. 012-2026, a measure that declared certain agency files off-limits for a full decade. The president voiced his objections on X on Monday, saying he did not understand why the maritime agency would classify specific information as confidential or restricted. “I don’t know the…
Export Infrastructure Powers the Panamanian Fish Market Just twelve months after launching operations, a processing complex in eastern Panama now ships roughly 300,000 pounds of frozen seafood each week to buyers on three continents. The Pacific Fishing Free Zone in Tanara, Chepo, has rapidly positioned the Panamanian fish market as an emerging force in international seafood trade, with active commercial routes reaching the United States, Spain, Nicaragua, Chile and other global destinations. The facility operates under Panama’s Special Free Zone Regime established by Law 32 of 2011 and received its authorization from the Cabinet Council in September 2025. Total investment…