Panama Maritime Authority Repeals Resolution Restricting Port Information Access on September 1, 2026

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Board of Directors of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), at a special meeting held on September 1, 2026, decided to repeal Resolution JD No. 012-2026. This resolution had been published in Official Gazette No. 30600 on August 28. The AMP explained that the resolution had been adopted to protect national interests and safeguard confidential information, as its disclosure could affect ongoing legal proceedings and the defense of public property.

The repealed measure had established a 10-year restricted access period for information and documents contained in the administrative files managed by its General Directorate of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries (Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares), covering three categories: regional concession rights, operating permits for auxiliary maritime services, and administrative investigations of violations. Its scope included files related to the process of transferring administration of the Port of Balboa and the Port of Cristóbal. Previously, the AMP had granted temporary contracts of up to 18 months to APM Terminals Panamá and TIL Panamá.

This repeal decision was made within the framework of legal provisions governing public access to information and the protection of confidential information. The AMP invoked Article 8 of Law No. 6 of January 22, 2002, which establishes the obligation of state institutions to provide information on their operations and activities, except for information deemed confidential or subject to restricted access. Additionally, the AMP noted that Article 83 of Law No. 35 of May 10, 1996, addresses the protection of confidential industrial or commercial information that could confer a competitive or economic advantage on third parties.

According to the AMP, within this legal framework, its Board of Directors considered that Resolution JD No. 012-2026 was intended to protect information whose disclosure could jeopardize the legal and property interests of the State, and that the measure was not meant to restrict the right of public access to information established in national legislation. The AMP stated that with the repeal of this resolution, it maintains its direction toward open and transparent institutional management, in accordance with the legal framework applicable to Panama's maritime and port sector.