Panama - eCommerce Panama - eCommerce
Basic features of the e-commerce law are the following:
- It gives legal force to any transaction or contract completed electronically.
- It makes electronic signature a legal instrument except for real estate transactions and succession purposes.
- It creates the National Directorate of Electronic Commerce (Direccion Nacional de Comercio Electronico) as part of the National Commerce Directorate of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to oversee the application of the law and act as a regulator.
- It defines certification organizations, which will issue signature certificates and define operating procedures. A certificate will allow any person or organization to claim legitimacy.
- It establishes that certification entities will register on a voluntary basis.
The Panamanian Chamber of Commerce has promoted the increased use of e-commerce with financial assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A number of Panamanian firms, especially supermarkets, fast food delivery, and consumer electronic stores, offer e-commerce facilities and more firms are working on providing these facilities. However, electronic commerce is still weak in Panama.
For more information on e-commerce, please contact us at Enrique.Tellez@trade.gov.