Bill 355.

Summary.

The bill establishes a special self-management regime for state-owned football arenas and stadiums administered by the Panamanian Sports Institute (Instituto Panameño de Deportes, PANDEPORTES). It seeks to sustain their operations and finances and provide for efficient use. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo), acting through PANDEPORTES after a technical feasibility assessment, would determine which facilities fall within the regime. The text defines football arenas and stadiums as public infrastructure primarily intended for football practice and events. It defines self-management as generating revenue through authorized commercial activities, services or events and reinvesting that revenue in the facility’s operation and maintenance.

For each facility, the bill provides for a Stadium and Arena Administrative Unit (Unidad Administradora de Coliseo y Estadios), appointed and supervised by PANDEPORTES, to carry out the model under the proposed regime and Law 50 of 2007. It expressly includes the Roberto Durán Arena as a multipurpose venue. The proposed self-management, fund administration and oversight mechanisms would apply to it, subject to adjustments reflecting its non-football character as set out in the applicable management agreement. With prior authorization from PANDEPORTES, the administrative unit could rent temporary spaces, receive ticket revenue, organize or jointly produce activities compatible with the facility’s main purpose, enter into partnerships with private businesses, federations or associations, and administer its fund.

The Self-Management Fund (Fondo de Autogestión) would receive revenue from admission and ticket sales, rentals of commercial spaces or boxes, sponsorships, advertising, use agreements, and donations or contributions for specific purposes. Its resources would be used exclusively for maintenance, infrastructure and technology improvements, operating expenses, security, cleaning, administration, and community or educational access programs. The administrative unit could arrange procurement of services, works or personnel in accordance with the principles of the Public Procurement Law and transparency. For larger projects, the bill permits use of Law 93 of 2019 on public-private partnerships, subject to authorization from PANDEPORTES and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas).

Fund receipts and expenditures would be subject to prior and subsequent oversight by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República) and reported quarterly to PANDEPORTES. The unit would submit a publicly accessible annual management report to PANDEPORTES and the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional), detailing receipts, expenditures, events and improvements. Facilities operating under the regime would give the highest priority of use to national teams, federations and official PANDEPORTES programs. The Executive Branch would issue implementing regulations within no more than six months of promulgation. The bill states that its provisions complement Law 50 of 2007 and would take effect upon promulgation.

The proposal concerns the Panamanian Sports Institute, the Executive Branch, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic and the National Assembly. Its provisions would also be relevant to federations, national teams, businesses involved in events and services, and users of sports facilities in Panama.