The Plenary of the National Assembly approved in second debate Bill 143 of the General Budget of the Nation. The session was attended by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman, who explained his absence during the previous eight hours. Chapman stated that he seeks the best for all Panamanians and assured that he answered all the questions from the deputies.
"At all times, I answered all questions, even when they repeated them to me up to 20 times. I don’t know if I was speaking to myself or if it was a strategy to prolong the debate," mentioned Chapman during his intervention. The Budget Bill was approved with 45 votes in favor, 25 against, and no abstentions. The amount of the General State Budget amounts to over $30,111 million.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance is preparing the presentation of the project for the third debate, scheduled for tomorrow. The approval in the second debate represents an important step in the budget approval process for the year 2025.
