The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, assured that no taxes will be implemented on solar energy, underlining the importance of maintaining competition in the energy market.

He stressed that solar energy, along with other renewable sources such as wind energy, must be incentivized without increasing costs for users. “We cannot make energy more expensive for Panamanians, that would be a disincentive for the sector,” Mulino said, inviting international businessmen to see Panama as a good destination to invest in renewable energy.

In a meeting after the president’s statements, the National Public Services Authority (ASEP) and the Panamanian Solar Energy Chamber described the meeting as positive. The administrator of ASEP, Zelmar Rodríguez Crespo, reiterated the participatory approach of the entity in the development of self-consumption projects.

For his part, Juan Andrés Navarro, president of the Chamber, thanked the rapprochement and stressed the importance of considering the union’s proposals in future regulations.

As a result of the meeting, ASEP invited companies in the sector to present technical studies that will be evaluated for possible adjustments in regulations. In addition, ASEP announced that it is analyzing improvements in the penetration limits of self-consumption systems, without proposing changes in current procedures. A public forum was organized to share preliminary information and collect opinions from the sector, with the aim of having final results in the first quarter of 2025.