This provision was approved on May 4 by the National Assembly of Panama and sanctioned by the President of the Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, who adopts special social measures for temporary suspension of payment for public services and other measures, referring to the state of national emergency.

The law suspends the payment of energy bill, landline and mobile phone and the internet for a term of four months, starting from March 1, 2020.

The suspension measures will not generate any type of interest or affect the credit history.

The conditions to receive the benefit are as follows:

- the family income received is less than $ 2,000 per month;
- the family income has been reduced;
- the person has had his employment contract suspended;
- the person has been dismissed or is not working due to the declaration of national urgency; or
- the person is retired or receiving pension

The purpose of the measure is to protect those who have lost their job, or their position has been temporarily suspended, including the cases in where the employment contract has been modified, with a reduction in the number workdays.

Likewise, self-employed workers, micro and small companies affected by the pandemic may request relief in their public service payments.

Moratorium can also be applied to owners of restaurants, bars, casinos as well as public and private means of transport that have been affected in their income.

The State will assume the payment of a solidarity bonus for each worker affected by the suspension of their contract, due to the temporary closure of a business for reasons associated with the pandemic.