Amid the sustained impact of rising fuel prices, the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) reported that registration has already been enabled so that transporters can access the state subsidy, a key measure to avoid increases in public transportation rates, which would affect users and impact the cost of living.
According to the National Authority for Government Innovation and the ATTT, drivers of collective, selective and collegiate transportation can now enter the Panama Conecta digital platform and complete their application online. The entity indicated that it is “a process that seeks to expedite the delivery of the benefit and improve the traceability of public funds.”
The fuel subsidy program would be around 15 million additional dollars per month to prevent the fare from increasing, indicated the director of the ATTT, Nicolás Brea.
In addition, he noted that “it is estimated that the impact of the increase in fuel prices represents close to 50% of the operating costs of transporters.”
Precisely, one of the sectors hardest hit by this increase in operating costs is cargo transportation, which will soon be included in the program.
The measure is implemented after transporters warned the authorities about the financial pressure they face due to rising fuel prices. The subsidy, in this scenario, becomes a containment mechanism to prevent increased costs from being passed on directly to users.
To facilitate the registration process, The ATTT enabled a detailed manual on its web portal, which explains step by step how to complete the registration and avoid errors that may delay the validation of requests. The authorities insisted on the importance of correctly following the instructions to guarantee access to the benefit.
Through the Panama Conecta platform, Public transport drivers (collective, selective, tourism and school) can enter the official website and complete the registration in https://panamaConnect.gob.pa/menu.
This system will allow controlling and supervising the use of public funds; In addition, it will allow the necessary controls to be carried out so that the subsidy reaches the carrier and, therefore, the user.
The mechanism will work through a prior registration of authorized transporters and drivers. Only vehicles that are up to date with their obligations, including the current license plate and the peace of mind with the ATTT, will be able to access the benefit.
At fuel stations, a code will verify whether the vehicle is eligible to receive the subsidy.
This information will come from the database of the ATTT, where vehicles intended for collective and selective transportation that have their license plate up to date are registered. The entity warned that delinquent carriers will not be able to apply for the benefit.
The temporary fuel price stabilization measure establishes a cap of 88 cents per liter for 91 octane gasoline and 90 cents per liter for low sulfur dieselmain fuels used by the transportation sector. The 95 octane gasoline is excluded.
