Quick Reads:  Sunday August 17th 2025 – VIP Pensions – Poverty – Electricity Service in Panama

Special Pensions Under Scrutiny: The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) has come under fire for an agreement granting special pensions to magistrates and judges, sparking a heated debate over the legality and transparency of the judiciary. Although the benefits were later suspended for SCJ magistrates, the privilege remains in place for judges and magistrates of higher courts.

Social Aid at the Crossroads:  An analysis of social assistance programs revealed persistent problems in their implementation. Former Minister of Social Development Leonor Calderón lamented the lack of funding for social support.  “I still remember with frustration the day I applied for an extraordinary loan of less than $200,000 to provide the necessary social support in remote areas… and it never appeared,” he said.  The director of Social Protection at the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), Rossana Muñiz, noted that they have had to “put their house in order” and that “these programs are designed for very serious situations, extreme poverty.”  Consultant Jorge Giannareas was emphatic that the solution to poverty goes beyond monetary transfers, stating: “It’s not the transfers that are going to lift people out of poverty; it’s the economy that’s going to lift people out of poverty.”

Strengthening the Electrical Service:  In the electricity sector, the administrator of the National Authority for Public Services (ASEP) , Zelmar Rodríguez , explained that the service is not being privatized, but rather that 51% of the shares of the private partner of the distribution companies will be put up for auction.  The official acknowledged that the main problem has been maintenance and investment. “This is a maintenance and investment issue, and that’s what we’re currently focusing on with them, so they can strengthen their line,” she said.  ASEP seeks to strengthen oversight, and Rodríguez concluded with a message to the population: “Trust… we are working for the Panamanians. I always say that the end customer is the weakest link… and we are here for them.”

ASEP is bidding for $1.3 million in consulting services for the sale of shares in electricity distributors.

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