Summary.
The bill amends and adds provisions to Law 52 of 2017, which establishes the regulatory framework for urban and rural street naming and address numbering in the Republic of Panama. It proposes that the National Technical Council for Urban and Rural Naming and Numbering (Consejo Técnico Nacional de Nomenclatura y Numeración Urbana y Rural) include representatives of the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning (Ministerio de Vivienda y Ordenamiento Territorial), through the Vice Ministry of Land Use Planning (Viceministerio de Ordenamiento Territorial), whose representative will chair it; the National Land Administration Authority (Autoridad Nacional de Administración de Tierras); the Association of Municipalities of Panama (Asociación de Municipios de Panamá); the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo); the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación); and the Government Innovation Authority (Autoridad de Innovación Gubernamental). The vice minister must activate the council within no more than 30 working days after promulgation in the Official Gazette.
The bill proposes a Georeferenced and Geocoded Naming System to support the Urban and Rural Naming and Numbering System nationwide. Its georeferencing and geocoding algorithms will be public and free to use. The Tommy Guardia National Geographic Institute (Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia) will administer it through the Panamanian Spatial Data Infrastructure (Infraestructura Panameña de Datos Espaciales). In coordination with the National Authority for Government Innovation (Autoridad Nacional para la Innovación Gubernamental), the institute will implement the naming and numbering system digitally. The national database must be available in real time and capable of integration with geolocation and transport applications. The system will assign and update official names and numbers for streets, avenues, buildings, plots, and dwellings; connect them to digital georeferencing and urban mobility platforms; ensure visible, uniform physical signage; and help locate addresses for transport, security, emergencies, censuses, electronic commerce, and postal and tourism services.
Municipal Councils will adopt mechanisms to apply the technical council’s policies and standards. Municipalities will install and maintain street signage and address numbers and implement the system in their jurisdictions within three (3) years after the regulations take effect. Failure to comply will constitute a serious administrative offense. The provincial governor will issue a sanctioning decision against the responsible district mayor under ley 2 de 1987 and applicable municipal supervision rules. Sanctions may consist of a written reprimand, a fine equivalent to between five (5) and ten (10) monthly salaries, or, if noncompliance continues three (3) months after a warning, temporary suspension or withholding of salary until the matter is remedied, at the governor’s discretion.
The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) and the technical council will issue regulations for Law 52 of 2017 and its amendments within no more than six (6) months after promulgation. The regulations will specify naming standards, signage typography, digital integration, and public entity responsibilities. The bill also creates a national platform administered by the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning and the National Authority for Government Innovation. Citizens and businesses may report errors or gaps through this free, publicly accessible platform, which must integrate with the National Emergency System (Sistema Nacional de Emergencias) (911), the National Institute of Statistics and Census, and the Public Registry (Registro Público). The bill lists its amendments and additions to Law 52 of 2017 and provides that it takes effect upon promulgation. Its provisions concern those public entities, municipalities, and the transport, security, emergency, census, electronic commerce, postal, and tourism sectors.
What it proposes.
- Official urban and rural street naming and address numbering.
- Georeferencing, databases, and physical signage.
- Municipal implementation, regulations, and administrative sanctions.
Who it would affect.
- Public entities responsible for naming and numbering.
- Municipal Councils and municipalities.
- District mayors responsible for implementation.
- Citizens and businesses reporting errors or gaps.
Key points.
- The bill amends and adds to Law 52 of 2017 to govern urban and rural naming and numbering.Art. 1
- It revises the technical council’s membership and requires the vice minister to activate it within no more than 30 working days after promulgation.Art. 2
- It creates a georeferenced and geocoded system with public, free to use algorithms and assigns its administration and digital implementation to the specified entities.Art. 3
- It assigns the system duties concerning official numbering, digital integration, physical signage, and address location.Art. 4
- It requires municipalities to install and maintain signage and implement the system within three (3) years after the regulations take effect, with sanctions for noncompliance.Art. 5
- It directs the Executive Branch and the technical council to regulate the law and its amendments within no more than six (6) months after promulgation.Art. 6
- It creates a free public platform for reporting errors or gaps, integrated with emergency, statistical, and public registry systems.Art. 7
- It lists the provisions amended and added to Law 52 of 2017 and sets promulgation as the start of its effect.Arts. 8-9