PANAMA

On February 18, the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF in Spanish) appointed Isabel Pérez Henríquez as the new Director of the entity, replacing David Saied who held the position since 2019.  Also, on February 11, President Laurentino Cortizo appointed Dayra Carrizo Castillero as head of the Office of Supervision and Regulation of Non-Financial Entities, an entity attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).On the other hand, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI in Spanish) announced that, as of February 17, the Foreign Trade Single Window (VUCE in Spanish) began to accept online processing payments through credit cards. The initiative is part of the digitalization process being implemented by the entity, according to the General Director of Foreign Trade Services of the MICI, Marianela Gómez.

The new Director of the UAF holds a degree in Law and Political Science from the University of Panama, and a Master’s degree in Commercial Law from the Interamerican University of Panama. She also has specializations in money laundering prevention and certification of evaluators of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). In the public sector, Pérez participated in money laundering investigations of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and was General Secretary of the Superintendency of the Stock Market. She also has more than 10 years of experience in the private financial sector in regulatory areas.

For her part, the new head of the Office of Supervision and Regulation of Non-Financial Entities, Dayra Carrizo Castillero holds a degree in Law and Political Science from Universidad Santa María la Antigua, and a Master’s degree in Commercial Law from Université Paul Cézanne. Until her appointment, Carrizo served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2020.

Regarding card payments at the VUCE, the Ministry explained that they will apply to the endorsement and purchase of certificates of origin, sales of Declaration of Commercial Movement (DMC in Spanish), and export and authentication procedures. The new payment methodology is in addition to other digital strategies that the entity has, such as online banking payment, extended hours for electronic approvals, digital certificates of origin, among others.