The Committee on Agricultural Affairs of the National Assembly approved in first debate two bills, one of which seeks to create the Agro-industrial and Bioeconomic Center of the West Panama province. Deputy Patsy Lee, proponent of the bill for the Agro-industrial and Bioeconomic Center of the West Panama province, said that it seeks to create a model of sustainable agro-industrial development. Another objective is to promote productive transformation, strengthen the agricultural sector, generate clean energy, and boost the circular economy. This center will be created as an autonomous entity attached to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and with freedom in its financial, technical, and administrative management. However, it will also have a board of directors, which will act as the highest body in charge of policy-making, supervision, and oversight. The bill indicates that the center's funding sources will be allocations from the general state budget, international cooperation funds from multilateral, regional, bilateral, or international organizations. Operating funds may also come from public-private partnerships. This center would have an agro-industrial processing plant, a warehousing and cold storage center, an anaerobic biodigestion plant, an industrial composting plant, an agri-food innovation and quality laboratory, and a community educational area. A biogas plant would generate electricity and heat for the center's internal use.
