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4.6. The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) is responsible for implementing policy in the sector, in accordance with the National Agricultural Development Plan. Other sectoral planning instruments include the National Climate Change Plan for the Agricultural Sector in Panama and the National Plan for Family Farming in Panama. Launched in 2019, the main aim of the National Climate Change Plan for the Agricultural Sector in Panama is to adopt sustainable production methods and practices in order to reduce carbon emissions. (...)

4.7 (...) The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) has promoted various programmes in the domestic primary sector, such as those establishing seals for Panamá EXPORTA, Panamá Bioseguro and Panamá Orgánico, which point to modernized production methods and the integration of Panamanian export products into very demanding international markets.

4.19. Panama notified the WTO that the domestic support granted to agriculture during the period 2014-20 covered: research, extension and advisory services; pest and disease control programmes; training services; inspection services; marketing and promotion services; infrastructural services; and assistance programmes for natural disaster relief or structural adjustment. Only the latter programmes provide financial assistance through credit programmes at preferential interest rates, or in the form of non repayable direct assistance, for damage caused by natural disasters or to finance investment in technology. (...)

Table 4.2. Domestic support for agriculture, 2014-20:
Support allocation: (...)
Values (USD thousands and %)
Payments for relief from natural disasters: (2014) 2818, (2015) 1513, (2016) 1312, (2017) 2360, (2018) 2500, (2019) 3229, (2020) 1624
(...)
Shares (% of total): (...)
Payments for relief from natural disasters: (2014) 3.9, (2015) 1.8, (2016) 1.6, (2017) 1.7, (2018) 1.7, (2019) 2.6, (2020) 1.8
(...)

4.24. (...) in 2018, a charge of PAB 0.5 was imposed for every quintal of rice imported under scarcity quotas. The proceeds from the charge will be used to finance technical assistance programmes aimed at producer organizations involved in the rice production chain and contributions to the Latin American Reserve Fund (FLAR). [45]
[45] FLAR is a public private partnership established in 1995 that seeks to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of rice production systems.

4.25. Under the 2001 Agricultural Conversion Programme, which was temporarily suspended during the review period in 2019, direct financial assistance was provided by way of reimbursement of a given percentage of investments to modernize agricultural activities, including activities related to environmental protection [46] (...)
[46] Eligible activities are: (...) organic farming (...)

4.27. The Agricultural Development Bank (BDA), a state bank set up to facilitate finance for agricultural activity, awards financial assistance at preferential rates through various credit programmes. [50] The interest rates vary by programme and range between 0% and 4%. Over the period 2014 -21, the BDA granted loans to 13,000 producers, a disbursement of around PAB 293 million.
[50] They are: (...) the Programme for Sustainable Production in the Regions (...) the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Programme.

4.29. In order to promote access to credit in the agricultural sector, the National Bank of Panama (BNP) offers medium and long term credit facilities that charge lower rates of interest than the other banks in the domestic banking system and are tailored to sectoral needs based on the goal the finance seeks to achieve, for example crop rehabilitation and improvements, or supplementary investment for animal production and purchasing. (...) In 2020, the Bank implemented the "0/20 Vision Sustainable Production" strategy, which calls producers within the same area to a meeting to promote the use of tools and technologies that would improve their farm management and mitigate threats from pests and climate change. (...)

4.31. The National Energy Secretariat (SNE) formulates and implements energy policy in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment so as to ensure reasonable use of water, Panama's chief source of power generation. In 2016, Panama adopted the National Energy Plan (PEN) 2015-50, which defines the objectives for the sector's development, namely: universal access, uninterrupted supply, reasonable and efficient use of power, and energy transition. The National Public Service Authority (ASEP) regulates the electricity market.

4.33. The National Public Service Authority (ASEP) awards licences (for 40 years, renewable) to power plants, except for hydro and geothermal plants, for which it awards concessions (50 years, renewable). For hydroelectric plants, an environmental impact assessment must also be made by the Ministry of the Environment before a concession for water use can be awarded. The concession is for an indefinite period and requires the concessionaire to carry out water conservation works.