In a last gasp move to avoid Panama’s return to the OECD  gray list of tax havens The plenary of the National Assembly approved on Tuesday afternoon of January 29, third debate, the bill. 591, to penalize tax fraud.

 During the debate lawmakers, Felipe Vargas and Zulay Rodríguez, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party,(PRD) and Fernando Carrillo, of Cambio Democrático, (CD) expressed their disagreement with the bill, and the PRD deputy Leandro Avila during his speech asked where the pro-government deputies were to defend the bill that reforms the Tax Code.

To analyze theis bill, the plenary session had been declared in permanent session last Tuesday, the last day of sessions in the Assembly before the interruption by the World Youth Day WYD).

On Monday, January 28, the discussion was resumed, and it was approved in the second debate.