Panama to Seek New Companies for Driver's License Issuance

The Panama Transit and Land Transport Authority (ATTT) announced that starting next year, it will begin searching for new companies interested in providing driver's license issuance services nationwide to begin operations in 2027. Considering that the contract with Sertracen expires on December 31, 2026, the terms of reference for the tender will be established starting in January for companies to submit their proposals. This amount comes from the investment and operating budget of the ATTT and will allow for settling more than 100 collection claims that remain outstanding in the budget items. Marubeni Estrada, financial director of the ATTT, detailed that the cost of issuing a license is 40 dollars, but this may vary depending on the type of service requested (duplicate, renewal, first time, extension, or provisional permit). The director of the entity, Simón Henríquez Díaz, mentioned that the agreement with Sertracen dates back to 2007 and has undergone around 7 amendments; therefore, it is pertinent to open the field of participation to other companies. He explained that the last modification to the contract includes a new redesign of driver's licenses with the aim of making them 'more friendly' for police and transit units when verifying individuals; however, the current model will remain physical because its digital version is in the process of adjustments at the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG). The decision to modify the design, according to Henríquez Díaz, responds to the fact that the current one has been falsified by criminal groups, affecting the work of public security agencies; therefore, it was decided to reinforce its format. The entity went to the Budget Commission of the National Assembly to request a budget transfer of more than 5 million dollars to disburse payments for services to the concessionaire Sertracen.