50,000 Panamanians Yet to Collect Cepadem Certificates

Some 50,000 Panamanians are yet to collect their Payment Certificate for the Second Part of the Thirteenth Month (Cepadem), which includes the payment of principal and interest at 3% from 1972 to 1983, stated Carmen Jaén, coordinator of the Cepadem Attendance and Delivery Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). According to the official, this situation is due to the fact that most beneficiaries have passed away, and their heirs or relatives are unaware of the existence of these payments and the procedure to claim them. She reminded that the entity's website (www.https://www.mef.gob.pa/listado-de-cepadem-2/) has the updated list of public and private sector workers entitled to this remuneration so they can verify their data (name, ID card, and social security). "We invite all beneficiaries, all people who believe they have a pending Cepadem, to visit the website and call 506-6100 to make an appointment and collect their certificates," she emphasized in an interview with Panamá América. Jaén hopes these disbursements can be settled before the delivery of the Payment Certificates for Interest in Arrears (Cepanim) begins in June, to avoid crowding and make the process more agile. She added that with the payment of the interest in arrears generated until 2017, amounting to more than 2 million dollars, the debt that the Panamanian State maintains with over 600,000 private and public sector workers from whom the thirteenth month was withheld will be settled. She assured that when legal actions are required, the funds will be maintained for as many years as they last until they can be claimed by a relative of the main beneficiary. In parallel, the MEF is working on a digital platform for citizens to register and validate their status regarding Cepanim, aiming for the delivery to be as orderly as possible. She reiterated that it is "super important" for people to receive their Cepadem before collecting the Cepanim, which covers the period from 1983 to 2017; therefore, all the institution's regional offices have been enabled to accredit these payments so that people in remote areas, disabled, or bedridden can also collect their certificates. She explained that in case of death, spouses, de facto partners, children, and other relatives are entitled to claim the benefit following the parameters established by law, which consist of presenting marriage and death certificates, and a succession judgment, depending on the case.