Summary.
The bill would establish the Board of Trustees of the Colón Art and Culture Center (PATRONATO DEL CENTRO DE ARTE Y CULTURA DE COLÓN) as an autonomous, nonprofit private entity serving the public interest, with legal capacity to exercise rights and assume obligations. It would entrust the entity with administering the former Centro de Formación Integral Colegio Abel Bravo building, declared historical heritage under Law 47 of August 8, 2002, and located in Barrio Sur corregimiento (district), Colón district, Colón province. Its stated vision is a cultural space involving business, cultural and educational sectors and civil society. Its mission covers cultural education, performing arts, heritage and the local economy.
Its objectives include providing space for the Instituto Superior de Bellas Artes y Folclore de Colón, developing educational and cultural projects, establishing cooperation arrangements, and building a technical and financial support network for the building. It could receive donations, hold fundraising activities, manage resources and participate in policies concerning the historic monumental area of Colón’s old town. Operating museums, exhibition rooms and libraries would require authorization from the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura). It would also submit an annual cultural management plan, publish its activity calendar and budget execution, and set service fees under Law No. 175 of November 3, 2020. Conservation and restoration works would be planned by its Board of Directors (Junta Directiva de EL PATRONATO) and approved by the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage (Dirección Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural).
The Ministry of Culture would represent the entity before the Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo), and the Office of the Comptroller General of the Nation (Contraloría General de la Nación) would oversee it. Membership would include the Ministry of Culture, the Panama Tourism Authority (Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá), the Office of the Mayor of Colón Municipality (Alcaldía del Municipio de Colón), a representative of the National Commission on Archaeology and Historic Monuments (Comisión Nacional de Arqueología y Monumentos Históricos), and business and civil society representatives, each with an alternate. The Board of Directors would be its highest authority. Members would serve without pay but could be reimbursed for mission expenses. The board would adopt internal rules and operating manuals, which the Ministry of Culture would adopt by resolution and publish in the Official Gazette. The first executive director and administrator would be appointed for four (4) years; subsequent appointments would be for seven (7) years, under the cited provisions of Law No. 175 of November 3, 2020.
Its assets and funding would comprise state appropriations, contributions from other public entities, donations, inheritances, self-generated income and rental income. Its allocation under the General State Budget could not be lower than the previous annual budget. Donations would be deductible from taxable income, and the entity would be exempt from national taxes, contributions and levies. It would submit annual audited reports on public funds and on all income and expenditure within three (3) months after the fiscal year closes. Property under its administration would belong to the State; acquired works of art would be inventoried and registered with the Ministry of Culture. Disposal or pledging of property would be restricted, subject to an exception for replaceable operating assets. The administered area would include the property, its public spaces, archaeological heritage and spaces for cultural use. The board could approve dissolution by the required majorities; the property would return to the State through the Ministry of Culture or pass to a successor entity.
The bill concerns the Ministry of Culture, the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República), and the other public entities represented on the board. Its provisions could also affect educational institutions, artists, cultural managers, community organizations, businesses, donors, and cultural and tourism operators.
What it proposes.
- Creation and purposes of a cultural board of trustees.
- Administration and conservation of a historic building.
- Governance, funding, oversight and dissolution of the entity.
Who it would affect.
- Board of Trustees of the Colón Art and Culture Center
- Board members and executive management
- Public entities providing funds or exercising oversight
- Donors and users of cultural spaces and services
Key points.
- Creates the board of trustees and assigns it administration of the former Centro de Formación Integral Colegio Abel Bravo building.Art. 1
- Sets educational, cultural and conservation objectives, with authorization and approval requirements for specified activities and works.Arts. 2-5
- Defines institutional representation, membership and the powers of the Board of Directors.Arts. 6-9
- Provides for an initial four (4) year appointment of the executive director and administrator, followed by seven (7) year appointments.Art. 10
- Sets funding sources, a budget floor based on the preceding year, deductibility of donations and financial reporting duties.Arts. 11-12
- Vests ownership of administered property in the State, defines the area under the entity’s care, restricts disposal of property and grants a tax exemption.Arts. 13-15
- Requires an annual audited income and expenditure report and governs dissolution and the disposition of administered property.Arts. 16-18