Panama’s Ifarhu has spelled out exactly what families can and cannot purchase with their PASE-U education assistance cards, as the agency cracks down on unauthorized spending and prepares a second payment for October.
What Happened
Carlos Godoy, director of the Institute for the Formation and Use of Human Resources (Ifarhu), detailed the permitted uses of the Universal Social Educational Assistance Program (PASE-U) card. Beneficiaries can use it to buy food and supermarket products, household cleaning items, and personal hygiene products students need, such as sanitary towels and deodorants.
Also authorized are laundry soap, dishwashing products and other household necessities, as well as medications, school uniforms and shoes. Families can even use the card at restaurants to pay for meals, with one important caveat: the establishment cannot be a bar.
“In medications, uniforms, sneakers, they can go to a restaurant, but it cannot be a bar, because at the end of the day the transaction may be declined,” Godoy explained.
Purchases that fall outside the program’s purpose include fuel, liquor and spending at cantinas. These transactions can be rejected because they do not correspond to the products and services covered by the benefit.
Godoy also said Ifarhu has received reports of merchants allegedly invoicing products that should not be included as groceries, and is investigating transactions in which beneficiaries apparently made payments without receiving the corresponding good or service. He warned that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure resources are used for the program’s intended purpose.
Background
The PASE-U is Panama’s universal education assistance program, administered by Ifarhu, which provides direct support to families with students. The program recently shifted to a card-based payment system, with Ifarhu working together with the Caja de Ahorros savings bank to distribute and activate the cards and roll out the new payment mechanism.
The tightening oversight follows earlier enforcement actions. Ifarhu previously blocked 48,000 PASE-U cards after detecting unauthorized purchases, underscoring the agency’s efforts to ensure the funds benefit students as intended.
The card distribution and activation process has not yet been completed nationwide. Godoy said upcoming distribution sessions remain for Panama province, Bocas del Toro, the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca and hard-to-reach areas.
What This Means for Panama
The second PASE-U payment of the year is scheduled for October. Before disbursing funds, Ifarhu must receive the corresponding budget allocation and complete validation of student requirements, which include school attendance and guardians’ participation in the school for parents program.
Families should stick strictly to authorized purchases to avoid declined transactions or potential card blocks, given Ifarhu’s stated willingness to enforce the rules.
Meanwhile, Ifarhu will also begin disbursing payments this week for the General Scholarship Competition and other programs, with the first payments going to students in Los Santos, Herrera and Coclé provinces.
This story was originally reported by La Prensa.