Not being a diplomat, I can only make a simplistic analysis to try to understand why our governments have refused to apply retaliation measures to those states that have publicly expressed disdain for our country and for Panamanians.

It is about time we take this as a personal affront. Being Panamanians is not crying out loud singing Patria de Rubén Blades, but demanding that the Government defend the dignity and interests of our country.

And if it does not, we must become aware and refuse to buy products from the countries that denigrate us the most, such as France, which keeps us on a unilateral discriminatory list and is the biggest cheerleader for the European Union (EU) to discriminate against Panama.

Are French yogurts, cheeses and perfumes really indispensable? Consume the national for the love of God and more in these times of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Have a beer or national rum and leave the French wines.

The retaliatory measures, even if they do not have the desired commercial or diplomatic effects immediately, send a clear signal that the country that feels affected has dignity and is willing to defend its interests and those of its population.

Panama cannot be intimidated by the constant and ruthless attacks by the EU and its bureaucratic hordes from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The prominent Panamanian professor of International Law Alonso E. Illueca, in an article titled De Retorión y Contramedidas (La Prensa, February 27, 2019) hit the nail on the head: “That is why, when making a decision between the countermeasures and retaliation, the State must carry out a cost-benefit analysis, as well as assess whether the response would constitute an internationally wrongful act or an unfriendly measure.

This entails weighing how much countermeasures and retaliation can aggravate the controversy, and that these privilege politically and economically powerful states or organizations, since, due to the imbalance of powers, the effects of these measures may be minimal. In no way does this imply a failure to defend the national interest. Unlike,

Our country has adequate legislation to carry out the retaliatory measures necessary to be taken seriously on the world stage.

I refuse to accept that they treat us as a fifth category country. Let’s leave the inferiority complexes. Law 48 of October 26, 2016, in its article 8, establishes a list of tax, tariff, immigration, labor measures, among others that can be applied by the Executive Branch.

What will not be effective? Who knows, but at this point, doing nothing is worse.

The ones that Colombia applied to us worked perfectly. In exchange for forcing us to exchange financial information, the “brother” country publicly branded us as accomplices in the tax evasion of its citizens, money launderers and established tariffs on textiles in the Colon Free Zone (ZLC).

Panama complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO), won the rulings, Colombia ignored it and they achieved their mission. Someone to explain to me how the controversy with France will escalate, for example, if they apply tariffs to their products in protest.

The Government of Panama, by not daring to apply retaliation or other countermeasures, allows Europeans to continue profiting from private and state businesses in Panama, without the slightest fear of reprisals.

If the government insists on using diplomacy (as if we were internationally recognized for being skilled in this science) then let it take the argument that Panama is doing the job and that only an international body like the United Nations (UN) -where all countries have a voice and vote – it must determine whether or not the minimum standards of transparency and exchange of financial information to which we have committed are met.

Those Panamanian businesses that manage to hook the consumer to buy online will be the big winners during seasonal promotions, such as Black Friday .

To do this, they will not only need advice to design an adequate e-commerce strategy but they must also know how the consumer has changed in this time and consider the country’s legal rules.

“Otherwise, they could be hit with significant penalties. It must be remembered that for online sales, in many countries there is already legislation on e-commerce and for physical sales, there are still limitations due to health protocols, established by the authorities of each country, to face the COVID pandemic -19 ”, explained María del Mar Herrera, senior manager of EY Law.

According to the EY Law specialist , the Panamanian business sector has great expectations about how the market will behave in the face of this new Black Friday modality . According to some studies carried out by EY, the consumer has been adapting to making their purchases online.

“Throughout the Central American region, an important sector of consumers has tried the channel and will continue to use it. For this reason, it is important that companies seek advice to design an adequate e-commerce strategy for their seasonal promotions, which ensures that the consumer is hooked on similar terms, to what they did on Black Friday , in person “, he commented .

According to the results of the study Perspectives of the consumer sector after COVID-19 , carried out by EY, the remote experience of 8 out of 10 consumers in Central America was as good or even better, as their physical shopping experience. Therefore, a good percentage of them would be willing to continue buying through this “new” channel.

For its part, EY Law’s E-commerce Report study identified that global trends shaped by data use that were already underway prior to the coronavirus are now shaping overall mindsets and consumer behavior on an unprecedented scale. , promoting new business models and transformation.

The Central American region, with its 26 million Internet users , has also experienced this increase, marking the beginning of new trends or consolidating others already underway, in particular electronic commerce.

To demonstrate this increase and its enormous potential, the revenues generated by e-commerce have risen to more than 800 million dollars in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, where young consumers are more attuned to e-commerce.

Panama’s e-commerce revenue (currently estimated at US $ 650 million) is expected to increase dramatically, as well as in the other countries in the region, albeit more slowly.

What to expect for the future?
From EY’s perspective, the next generations will shape even more significant and disruptive changes that can be seen in the next 10 years .

A number of variables such as demand planning, the logistics costs, delivery time, cybersecurity, the data protection will be the real differentiators in consumer preference.

The cost of January 2021 will be one of the heaviest, warns the UNAM

Eufemia Basilio, academic and member of the IIE, suggested to the population that if they saved 10 or 15% before, it is best to increase that percentage to 25 or 30%, but only if finances allow it.

xThe next slope of January 2021 will be one of the heaviest that the population will live due to the economic context that is being experienced, warned academics from the Institute for Economic Research (IIE) of the UNAM .

During the virtual conference “How to organize end-of-year expenses?”, Researchers from the Maximum House of Studies warned that in the face of the crisis that is being experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic; the best thing is to increase savings, be proactive and plan expenses towards the holidays.

Eufemia Basilio, academic and member of the IIE , suggested to the population that if they saved 10 or 15% before, it is best to increase that percentage to 25 or 30%, but only if finances allow it.

“It is important to have that little storage because surely the January cost will be heavier, so it is good to have that savings to face any emergency or expense, saving part of the income is a very good option,” he said.

During the virtual conference “How to organize end-of-year expenses?”, Researchers from the Maximum House of Studies warned that in the face of the crisis that is being experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic; the best thing is to increase savings, be proactive and plan expenses towards the holidays.

Eufemia Basilio, academic and member of the IIE , suggested to the population that if they saved 10 or 15% before, it is best to increase that percentage to 25 or 30%, but only if finances allow it.

“It is important to have that little storage because surely the January cost will be heavier, so it is good to have that savings to face any emergency or expense, saving part of the income is a very good option,” he said.

In turn, Moritz Cruz, also a researcher, pointed out that having a small financial cushion will allow us to get out of any eventuality or only cover unexpected expenses.

He pointed out that although, as an economist, I would recommend that people go out and buy to boost economic activity, unfortunately, this is linked to the consumption and purchasing power of buyers, many of whom at this time, their situation is not the most ideal .

Of the 88 officials of the Tax Administration Service (SAT) who have been reported to the Public Ministry (MP), more than half worked in the General Administration of Customs, according to the data for the third quarter of this year of the Report of Debt and Public Finance of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

The data showed that a total of 48 Customs workers were reported to the MP for various crimes. Among them, six were for crimes comparable to smuggling in the North Pacific, Northeast and North Central regions, while five were for crimes comparable to smuggling and the illicit exercise of public service in the Western region.

Other crimes for which the customs personnel were reported to the MP were for the illicit use of attributions and powers; smuggling; concussion; bribery; Documents forgery; crimes against the administration of justice and committed by public servants; Stole; crimes against the administration of justice and committed by public servants; and administrative responsibility.

Other administrations with officials reported to the MP are the General Taxpayer Services Administration, with 22; General Administration of Federal Fiscal Audit, with seven; the General Administration of Communications and Information Technologies, with five; the General Administration of Collection, with three; and the General Administration of Resources and Services, with three.

Among the crimes identified in these areas are the falsification of public documents; illicit access to computer systems and equipment; fraud; illicit access to computer systems and equipment; crimes in electoral matters; illicit exercise of public service; improper modification to systems; and crimes of administrative responsibility.

On the other hand, 563 were presented before the Internal Control Body (OIC) of the SAT for administrative responsibility of government workers.

The OIC is in charge of dealing with complaints or denunciations of public servants made by users of the institution, in addition to applying internal rules and mechanisms that prevent acts or omissions that could constitute administrative misconduct.