30 day Visa Update
Legislator Jose Blandon Figueroa was kind enough to send me the agenda for the upcoming legislative session and the last item on the list deals with the law regarding the 30 day visa. Legislator Blandon was just elected as the minority or Panamenista party leader and made a commitment to us several weeks ago to bring the matter to the floor of the assembly when they return the first week of September. He informed me that usually a commission will be formed to review the matter and then it will be debated on the floor before being voted on. This process can take days or months depending on other issues before them and if there is much controversy surrounding the matter at hand.
Legislator Balndon also shared with me that when the law 15 was voted on changing the tourist visa to only 30 days, none of the legislators considered the ramifications to the second home market or the retirees who are just spending a few months a year in Panama. He said that he too had voted in the reduction from 90 days to 30 in hopes it would increase the security of the country as proposed by the modifications to the penal code. As to the likelihood of this being reversed, he said that he sees little opposition and he knows that a number of other legislators have heard from their constituents who want the visa back to 90 days.
I want to thank Legislator Blandon for bringing this important matter to the attention of the assembly and we hope for positive results in the coming weeks.
Here is the Spanish version you can download.
Download comunicado_agenda_de_trabajo_20072008.doc
Go to the next page to read the agenda in English.
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR FOR THE PANAMEÑISTA PARTY
FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 2007 – AUGUST 2008
The priorities and commitments for this new period 2007 – 2008 for the Panameñista party, plans to follow very closely the following project laws already presented as well as, new legislative initiatives; as follows:
Proposed Project laws presented:
Project 2 – “Dictates the Organic Regulations of the Internal Affairs of the National Assembly”
Project 25 – “Adopts measures for the control of Tobacco use and its negatives health effects”
Project 94 – “Regulates the signature used on blank documents within the Republic of Panama and dictates other dispositions”
Project 174 – “Develops the jurisdiction of accounts established in articles 280, numeral 13 and 281 of the Political Constitution
Project 269 – “Modifies and adds articles to Law 14 established in 1993, modifies Law 34 of 1999, modifies article 133 and adds article 238 to the Penal Code (Transportation Law)
Proposed Project 268 – “Proposed a moratorium period for interest rates and capital for 60 months loans granted by the National Bank to the Barú Banana Coop COOSEMPUPAR
Proposed Project 264 – “Modifies and adds articles to Law 59 dated 29 December 1999, that regulates article 299 of the Political Constitution and dictates other disposition against the administrative corruption
Initiatives to Promote:
Proposed law that creates a National Development Fund for the surplus of the Canal Administration
Proposed law to create State Autonomy
Proposed law to create a Jurisdiction of Peace
Proposed law to modify Article 36 of Law 15 dated 2007 that dictates measures to speed up the process of ordinary penal and for special adolescent penal responsibilities and dictates other dispositions modified in numeral 1, article 1 of Law Decree 16 of 1960 (Immigration Law)
