The Ministry of Health (Minsa) requests 42.2 million dollars in the budget to pay seniority bonuses to former officials pending since 2014. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) recommends zero dollars.
According to Minsa estimates, seniority bonuses are owed to around 7,000 former officials of the institution.
The Secretary General of the Minsa, Julio Arosemena, reported during a meeting with former workers that the Minsa requested to include in the 2027 fiscal budget the necessary resources to pay for seniority bonuses; However, the MEF recommended an amount of zero for this line item.
The director of Human Resources of the Minsa, Rosalva de Castro, assured that the institution has been carrying out the corresponding procedures with the MEF to obtain the necessary resources.
During the meeting, the representative of the former officials of the Minsa of Panama Oeste, Aura Valdés de Adames, asked the Health authorities to continue looking for alternatives and strategies that will allow them to face the payment of the pending seniority bonus to former workers that has been owed since 2014.
The Budget Commission of the National Assembly is reviewing the budget project for 2027 presented by the MEF.
