Two formal requests for data on Panama’s flagged vessel registry remain unanswered after more than three months, even as the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) publicly touts its commitment to transparency. The pending petitions, one from a national legislator and another from a media outlet, have now triggered a formal complaint before the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai).
The requests seek details on ships flying the Panamanian flag and the law firms serving as resident agents for those vessels. Deputy Yamireliz Chong filed her petition to identify the companies performing this role, while a separate request submitted on July 3 asked for the full list of vessels and their corresponding resident agents. Neither has received a response from AMP administrator Luis Roquebert.
Flagged Vessel Registry Requests Hit Administrative Dead End
Panama’s Law 6 of 2002 sets a 30-day window for public institutions to answer information requests. An additional 30 days can be granted for complex petitions. In this case, the deadline has lapsed more than three times over without any communication from the AMP about a possible extension or legal restriction on the data.
Deputy Chong said that when she initially presented her request, the entity told her the information was not available. Since that exchange, no one from the AMP has contacted her to clarify or address the petition. The media request now sits in formal review before Antai due to the administrator’s silence.
The lack of response stands in sharp contrast to the AMP’s recent public actions. In early September, the agency officially repealed Resolution J.D. No. 012-2026, which had classified information on concessions, operating licenses, and investigations into maritime infractions as restricted for a decade.
Reversal of Secrecy Measure Fails to Resolve Transparency Gaps
The original restriction was approved on March 5 and published in the Official Gazette on August 28. It covered technical, administrative, and legal documentation from files processed by the General Directorate of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries. The AMP justified the measure by citing protection of commercial and industrial information, as well as ongoing judicial processes.
President José Raúl Mulino publicly questioned the decision and asked the AMP to reconsider. Organizations and transparency experts also criticized the 10-year confidentiality period. The board of directors later determined the restriction was incompatible with principles of public access and formally repealed it on September 4.
Internal discussions before the original resolution’s publication had reportedly suggested limiting confidentiality only to trade secrets or matters
to state defense. The final published version, But, swept in all documents, actions, and reports contained in specific files. A board member had warned that the resolution did not reflect the recommendations discussed earlier by that body.
Political Pressure and Unanswered Questions
The handling of the two pending requests continues to raise concerns about whether the AMP is meeting its legal obligations under Panama’s transparency framework. The agency has not indicated whether it considers the requested vessel and agent information sensitive, nor has it formally denied access.
Deputy Chong’s request and the media petition both target the same underlying data, the intersection of Panama’s ship registry operations and the private legal firms that facilitate vessel flagging. Panama operates one of the world’s largest ship registries, making the availability of this information relevant to international maritime oversight and domestic accountability.
For now, the Antai review represents the only active channel for resolving the media’s request. The deputy’s petition appears stalled without a formal complaint mechanism triggered. The AMP has made no public statement addressing either case or explaining the delay in processing routine information requests.
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