Comptroller moves on $300 million worker insurance scam
Panama’s comptroller, Federico Humbert, sent a letter on Thursday, April 19 to Social Security Fund (CSS), Director Alfredo Martiz, asking for delivery “as soon as possible”
possible “the internal audits that revealed the possible evasion of $300 million in missing worker quota payments managed by employers.
Humbert said they will then proceed to carry out their respective audits and if they confirm what Martiz has denounced they will be forwarded to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for investigation. Fourteen companies are already under the microscope.
The CSS has denounced that since 2012 when it started operating the Income and Benefits System (SIPE), which allowed employers to pay the employer’s contribution electronically, an evasion scheme was created.
Martíz indicated that, once they became aware of the situation, they have applied greater security, which has obviously caused discomfort due to the delay in processing time