Complicated formula jacks up license plate cost

The cost of driving is increasing in Panama. To add to big jumps in gasoline prices over the past year, the Mayor’s office has announced that license plates will cost more.

Starting in January the cost of a license plate will depend on what appears to be a cumbersome bureaucratic system based on the value of the vehicle on which it will be placed.

The issuing of license plates in Panama has been in chaos throughout the year, with thousands of new cars driving without plates.
The Mayor’s Office says that if you have a vehicle that costing less than $19,999 you will pay a $28 tax.
Owners of vehicles valued between $20,000 and $49,999 will pay $38; Those owning cars costing between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay $50; and motorists with vehicles valued at $75,000 or more, will pay $150.
 Cynics claim Mayor Bosco Vallarino is attempting to recoup the money spent on his plastic Christmas displays on the Cinta Costera.