Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

Taxpayers interacting with the Alcaldía Panamá now have a streamlined way to access municipal services online after officials announced a significant change to the city’s digital tax platform. The municipal government confirmed that its Alcaldía Digital system has migrated to a new domain, tributos.pty.gob.pa, replacing the previous web address that residents had grown accustomed to using. This shift arrives as part of a broader effort to simplify how citizens connect with city services and manage their tax obligations from anywhere. Digital Identity Modernization by Alcaldía Panamá The decision to adopt a shorter, more recognizable domain reflects a growing emphasis on…

Thousands of commuters who travel between West Panama and Panama City every weekday could wake up to empty bus stops this week as transport operators weigh their next move. Concessionaires from the Empresa Transportista del Oeste, S.A. (ETOSA) will gather Monday to define their course of action, and a possible Panama bus strike hangs over one of the country’s busiest transit corridors. Operators don’t mince words when describing the impact new fuel prices have had on their bottom line. “The subsidy doesn’t cover anything” [Translated from Spanish] That statement, shared widely across the West Panama transport guild, captures a sector…

Six years after joining more than 130 nations in backing a landmark OECD and G20 initiative, Panama tax policy has undergone a dramatic reversal. The country that once seemed poised to implement a 15 percent minimum tax on large multinational corporations now finds itself watching from the sidelines as global enthusiasm fades and regional neighbors move at their own pace. Finance Minister Felipe Chapman confirmed the shift in stark terms, signaling that the Mulino administration has no immediate plans to advance the levy. The reversal marks a key significant fiscal strategy changes since the original endorsement. The Global Framework and…

The Portobelo church restoration has reached 56 percent completion, a development that brings President José Raúl Mulino back to a promise he made on the campaign trail. Speaking during an inspection visit to the Atlantic coast town, Mulino recalled telling residents before the election that he would restore their beloved San Felipe Church if he won. Now, with tens of workers on site and major structural elements already transformed, that commitment is taking visible shape. Presidential Inspection and Community Employment in Portobelo Mulino walked through the active construction zones on Thursday, stopping to talk with laborers and local residents who…

Leaders from Panama’s private education sector have formally demanded a presidential veto of Bill 415, describing the legislation as part of a troubling wave of populist education laws that could cripple independent schools. Mario Muñoz of the Panamanian Association of Private Educational Centers and Edwin García of the National Chamber of Education and Innovation confirmed they have petitioned President José Raúl Mulino to reject the measure proposed by Deputy Ernesto Cedeño. The bill, according to both organizations, contains serious constitutional flaws and places undue financial burdens on small educational enterprises that serve a vital public function. The Constitutional Challenge Behind…

Engineers inspecting the concrete beneath Terminal 2 at Panama’s busiest airport discovered pavement deformations that fundamentally reshaped a construction project initially conceived as a routine capacity increase. The Tocumen airport expansion now carries a combined investment of $306.75 million, split between two separate initiatives that address both immediate infrastructure failures and long-term growth demands at the country’s primary aviation gateway. Airport authorities confirmed the scope of the work extends well beyond adding new boarding areas. The larger project, valued at $208.75 million, focuses on expanding the Terminal 2 South Pier, while a second initiative worth $98 million targets airfield improvements.…

The Chinese community monument that once overlooked the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal is now at the center of a growing legal battle, as a Panamanian court has frozen all activity at the demolition site while prosecutors investigate whether the mayor of Arraiján abused her authority. The Court of Guarantees issued the precautionary order on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the request of the Superior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, bringing an immediate halt to any construction, renovation, or intervention at the Mirador of the Bridge of the Americas. Chinese Community Monument Demolition Triggers Criminal Investigation The structure that stood at…

Panama’s Ministry of Environment has confirmed plans to intervene in 17 abandoned treatment plants located near critical drinking water intakes, a move officials say is designed to prevent a public health emergency. The announcement comes as newly released figures reveal that approximately 1,200 such systems may sit neglected across the country, and the real number could be even higher. Abandoned Treatment Plants Threaten Critical Water Sources Marilyn García Paredes, director of Environmental Performance Verification at MiAmbiente, said the targeted facilities are positioned in the upper reaches of the raw water intakes that feed the Jaime Díaz Quintero potabilizadora and the…

Panama multinational companies have generated more than 10,000 jobs since the special headquarters regime began operating, and Panamanian citizens hold roughly half of those positions. The registry now includes 192 firms from over 40 countries as of May 2026, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI). The country’s dollarized economy, strategic canal location, and business-friendly framework keep pulling corporate regional headquarters from nearly every continent. The milestone signals more than simple growth in company registrations. Behind the numbers sits a deliberate push to transform Panama into a services hub where global firms manage regional operations, logistics, finance, and…

After sitting unfinished through several government transitions, the San Lorenzo Visitor Center has finally opened along Panama’s Caribbean coast in Colón. President José Raúl Mulino inaugurated the complex on September 3, 2026, with First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino and several cabinet ministers at his side. The project required an investment of more than 7.7 million balboas and now anchors a protected area that combines dense tropical forest with centuries-old Spanish fortifications. A Long-Delayed Project Finally Reaches Completion More than a decade of delays had left local communities waiting for a facility that could connect visitors to the history and…