CONSUMER RIGHTS Most foreigners who come to retire and live in Panama have heard of the ‘Pensionado Visa Program’ of the Panamanian government that actually encourages retirees to relocate in Panama. And most
are aware that Panama has one of the best retirement incentive program in the world. But few will
know about CLICAC (Comision de Libre Competencia y Asuntos del Consumidor), which means the “Consumer Protection Agency”.
This is a powerful and important group of the state set up under the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, whose principal task is the protection of consumers.
They have a mandate in many areas of consumer protection including social problems, education
about consumerism, environmental awareness, and pricing and quality controls and awareness.
At a recent meeting in Boquete, reported in the “Barajeque Times”, Sr. Alejandro Lezcano, a
representative of CLICAC, explained that, “All consumers have rights. Our office attends to the
following eight rights”:
| THE 8 RIGHTS |
| THE RIGHT to select whatever products you wish. |
| THE RIGHT to compensation or right to receiver and answer to a complaint. |
| THE RIGHT to purchase things. |
| THE RIGHT to have a complaint heard / attended to. |
| THE RIGHT to all information about products |
| THE RIGHT to be educated about consumer rights. |
| THE RIGHT to safety of products. |
| THE RIGHT to a heathly, safe environment. |
A major portion of CLICAC’s energy goes into protecting the rights of retirees that are Panamanian
residents. Under Law #6 of June 1987, these rights to retirees apply to ALL retired persons living
in Panama and do not differentiate between native Panamanians and foreigners that have moved
here. The complete listing of discounts available under Law #6 can be found in a pocket guide for ‘Jubilados, Pensionados y Tercera edad’, which can be obtained by contracting CLICAC in David at
775-2536 or on their web site: www.clicac.gob.pa.
Other interesting facts are:
- Discounts apply to retired persons and their spouses.
- The discounts are mandated by law and are not negotiable, no matter what any place of
business tells you.
- Discounts are NOT to be included in the pricing.
- All establishments must give the stated discounts.
- Supermarkets are exempt.
- All airlines are subject to discounts for flights originating in Panama.
- Complaints filed will be answered in 24 hours with action taken within about 8 days.
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