Panama’s Public Procurement Special Procedure: Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 31st March, 2020

Through Resolution No. 18 of March 31, 2020, (which partially modifies Resolution No. 11 of March 13, 2020, that declared a State of National Emergency as a consequence of the infected disease CoViD-19), resolved in its article 2 the authorization of contracting through a special procurement procedure for the execution of works and acquisition of goods and services that are required to mitigate situations related to said State of Emergency.  In the same Resolution, article 3 establishes the sum of fifty million dollars  (US$ 50,000,000.00) for special contracts in a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days, in accordance with the provisions of Article 79 of the Text Unique to Law 22 of June 27, 2006, ordered by Law 61, 2017.

This new Resolution modifies the authorized total amount for special contracts to four hundred twenty-seven million – seven hundred and thirty-four thousand – seven hundred and eleven dollars (US$ 427,734,711.00), to be carried out in a period of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days.

In addition, it will correspond to the Ministry of the Presidency to assign the items to the different entities, which must administer and authorize the resources in accordance with the Law that dictates the General State Budget during the State of National Emergency lasts.

It is important to note that the entities that manage the special procedure must submit the corresponding report to the Cabinet Council, as established in the text of Law 22 of 2006, which regulates Public Procurement.