The Budget Commission of the National Assembly approved a transfer in the order of 30 million dollars in favor of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), with the objective of financing the fuel subsidy and temporarily stabilizing the price per gallon of 91 octane gasoline and diesel.
The benefit will be applied to public transportation, cargo, agricultural machinery and artisanal fishing, through a digital control system administered by the Government Innovation Authority (AIG) and the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT).
The Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, Fausto Fernándezexplained that in this first phase the subsidy is aimed at the transport sector of internal routes, taxis and buses. Later, it will be expanded to cargo transportation and those dedicated to artisanal fishing.
According to Fernández, the $30 million approved will cover approximately six weeks of estimated consumption. The program will be monitored to evaluate its development and, if necessary, new budget transfers will be requested to maintain support.
The vice minister stressed that, for now, the subsidy seeks to guarantee the stability of public transportation and food logistics, strategic sectors for the national economy.
Access to the subsidy depends exclusively on registration on the Panama Conecta digital platform, a process in which the Government Innovation Authority (AIG) also participates to facilitate registration.
The Government made an urgent call to transporters who have not yet registered, insisting that the benefit is already active and available as of this week.
The director of the AIG, Adolfo Fábrega, reported that the fuel subsidy program is already registering significant progress at the national level one day after its implementation.
Fábrega detailed that more than 33,000 subsidized fuel deliveries have been made and that at least 33,289 vehicles have been approved after completing the registration process on the platform.
Likewise, he indicated that the subsidy establishes a weekly consumption limit that varies depending on the type of vehicle, such as taxis, collective buses or school transportation.
