Draft bill 331.

Summary.

The draft bill proposes adding Chapter XVIII, on port digital transformation and smart ports, to Law 56 of August 6, 2008, Panama’s General Ports Law. The reproduced provisions address technical regulations for that chapter and set initial duties and deadlines for entities operating under port concessions or licenses. The bill’s heading identifies the addition to the General Ports Law as the proposed statutory amendment.

Article 2 would require the Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP) to issue the technical regulations needed to implement Chapter XVIII within twelve (12) months after the law enters into force. Those regulations would cover interoperability standards, a data catalog, cybersecurity guidelines, an audit methodology, key performance indicators (KPIs) and integration with VUMPA. The provision thus identifies the technical matters that the port authority would have to develop for the proposed chapter’s implementation.

Article 3 first provides that each concessionaire or licensee would submit its initial PTDP within twelve (12) months after the law enters into force. It would also direct the AMP to set phased deadlines for technical integration with VUMPA and other relevant government platforms. Those deadlines could not exceed twenty-four (24) months. Submission of the PTDP and integration with the platforms are separate steps, each governed by the deadline assigned to it in the text.

On cybersecurity, the same article would require operators to have a risk assessment, a continuity plan and active incident response procedures within a maximum of twelve (12) months. It would further authorize the AMP to begin priority pilot projects at higher traffic terminals to accelerate technological adoption and validation. The provision frames these pilots as an option for the authority, while submission of the PTDP, technical integration and the cybersecurity measures are requirements tied to deadlines.

Article 4 provides that the proposed law would take effect upon promulgation. Taken together, the provisions link entry into force to the start of the periods for issuing regulations, submitting the initial PTDP and putting cybersecurity measures in place; the AMP would determine phased integration deadlines within the stated limit. The related public bodies and systems are the AMP and the relevant government platforms, including VUMPA. The bill’s content would be of interest to or affect concessionaires, licensees, operators and port terminals, as well as the port services sector and those involved in its data exchange processes.