THE TAX-FREE  ride of Panama apartment  owners  renting to tourists may be coming to an end  with  a proposal put forward by Airbnb.

the company has proposed to the government that a tax collection scheme be implemented for property owners using its web platform.

Airbnb's idea is to establish a system similar to the one recently implemented in Puerto Rico, where the company signed an agreement with the government to collect taxes on rentals from homeowners reports CentralAmericaData

Gustavo Him, head of Panama’s Tourism Authority, told Prensa.com: "... "We could be interested in a similar agreement, but first we want to consult with the private sector. That does not mean that we should ask businessmen for permission, but we are not going to do anything behind the back of the hotel industry, much less anything that harms the industry."

The proposal put forward by Airbnb, which through its platform offers about 3,200 properties for rent in Panama, comes at a crucial moment for the local hotel sector, which has failed to raise the occupancy rate above 50% in recent years.

Airbnb is also in negotiations with authorities at the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica, who at the end of last year proposed implementing a system to collect taxes.