Panama may have lost approximately 45 billion dollars to corruption since its return to democracy, a leading legislator stated this week. Deputy Roberto Zuniga of the independent Vamos bloc made the staggering claim during a January 2 interview as the new session of the National Assembly of Panama convened.
Zuniga based his calculation on a widely cited international estimate. He said that roughly five percent of the state budget disappears each year due to corrupt practices. The figure covers the entire period from 1989 through the present day, highlighting a persistent national issue.
“It is nearly 45 billion dollars lost to corruption since we entered democracy in the country,” Zuniga said. [Translated from Spanish] “After 1989, with all the state budgets, it is estimated that approximately 5% is lost to corruption. That is something nefarious. From 1989 to date we continue to have the same problems.”
The lawmaker connected this systemic loss to recent controversial government actions. He specifically referenced the Mulino administration’s processing of sentence reductions for individuals convicted on corruption charges late last year.
Transparency Bill Faces Legislative Hurdles
A central part of Zuniga’s proposed solution involves making the asset declarations of public officials publicly accessible. He has sponsored a bill currently in its second debate within the assembly. The legislation would mandate the Comptroller General to publish these sworn statements on a dedicated website.
Many neighboring countries already employ similar public asset disclosure systems. Zuniga argued Panama’s secrecy enables wrongdoing. He faced direct questioning from La Prensa journalist Rolando Rodriguez during the broadcast interview.
“How can we citizens monitor the wealth of a politician if we do not have access to this tool?” Rodriguez asked. [Translated from Spanish]
Zuniga admitted his initiative has met fierce resistance from colleagues. He confessed that many fellow deputies have approached him privately. They have asked him not to place the bill on the assembly’s agenda for a vote. The lawmaker believes the proposal directly threatens officials who enter government with the aim of personal enrichment.
Consulates and Notaries Identified as Problem Areas
The conversation quickly turned to other institutions perceived as vulnerable. Zuniga identified the consular service and the public notary system as particularly problematic. He called for fixed salaries for consuls, criticizing the current model which allows them to keep surplus fees generated by their offices.
That model mirrors the one governing Panama’s notaries. Journalist Alvaro Alvarado described the notary system as the state handing over a private business every five years. Rodriguez called it a political “coin of exchange.” Zuniga agreed, labeling the appointment mechanism a clientelistic scheme used by governments to reward political campaign donors.
In Panama, notaries public are not career civil servants selected by public contest. The Executive Branch, through the Ministry of Government, appoints them for a set term, usually five years. Their office operates as a private entity providing a public service. Income flows directly from user fees for notarial acts according to a regulated tariff.
These earnings do not appear as a fixed state salary in the national budget. No public transparency mechanism exists to reveal how much a notary earns. The discretionary appointments and income opacity create vulnerabilities for corruption and political patronage. This longstanding structure has fueled repeated calls for reform from critics who argue it enriches a select few.
The deputy’s stark financial assessment and push for transparency set a confrontational tone for the new legislative period. His 45 billion dollar loss figure, while an estimate, provides a dramatic monetary measure for a national debate that often lacks concrete numbers. The fate of his disclosure bill will now test the assembly’s stated commitment to combating graft.