AN INNOVATIVE bill to eliminate tax on sunscreen lotions and creams and to introduce a discount for seniors has been proposed in Panama’s National Assembly.

Bill No. 070, was proposed by Congressman Elijah Castillo, CD, and member of the Committee onFinance. Besides eliminating the collection of the ITBMS tax on goods,, the document includes the obligation to grant a 20% discount to pensioners who purchase these products.

Says Castillo: "No doubt the best way to prevent skin cancer is to avoid exposure to sunlight, but for many people that's not possible because they work in the sun, such as police officers, construction workers, street vendors, among others, as well as those who must travel long distances on foot to reach their destination ".

"More recent data from the National Cancer Institute determined that 10 new cases of skin cancer per week in our country due to frequent sun exposure and sunburn, which can cause irreversible damage. Says the bill’s preamble.

The bill was already passed through the Commission of Economy and Finance and awaits its first discussion in the plenary Assembly.