---
title: "Budget Committee Approves $26.5 Million Boost for Panama’s National Assembly"
date: 2026-05-13
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-assembly-budget-transfer/
categories:
  - "Economy"
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "budget transfer"
  - "Janine Prado"
  - "Jorge Herrera"
  - "National Assembly"
  - "Panama"
  - "payroll"
---

# Budget Committee Approves $26.5 Million Boost for Panama’s National Assembly

## What Happened

Panama’s Budget Committee approved two budget transfers totaling $26.5 million in favor of the National Assembly, money set aside to cover payroll costs and administrative expenses. The decision adds fresh funding to the legislature’s operating budget at a time when lawmakers are under scrutiny for how public resources are managed.

Assembly President Jorge Herrera defended the request before his colleagues and said the $98 million initially approved by the Ministry of Economy and Finance for fiscal 2026 was not enough. He argued that the Assembly’s budget represents just 0.34% of the national government’s overall spending plan.

With the new transfers, the Assembly’s budget rises to $141.8 million.

## Questions Over the Payroll

The sharpest questioning came from independent lawmaker Janine Prado, who asked how the legislature’s staffing levels had changed since Herrera took office on July 1, 2025. Herrera said the Assembly had 3,104 permanent employees and between 1,500 and 1,600 temporary workers when he arrived.

He later said the institution now has 3,221 permanent employees and 1,137 temporary workers. That means 117 people have been added to the permanent payroll during his tenure.

Prado also challenged the lack of public access to the transitory payroll. Herrera said the information is available on the Assembly’s website, while Prado maintained that the data could not be easily found on the institutional portal.

## Clash Over Spending and Transparency

Another point of dispute centered on the jump in the Assembly’s modified budget. Prado asked why the figure had risen to $115.3 million, while Herrera said the legislature had a $111.1 million budget as of April. The difference became a focal point in the debate, with Prado pressing for clarification from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

MEF Budget Director Aurelio Mejía explained that the ministry has strengthened resources for the legislature specifically in the operating category. However, he left the chamber before responding to Prado’s request for a written report on the budget transfer.

Herrera used the hearing to point to measures he considers achievements, including meetings with social sectors, the elimination of car rentals for deputies, the removal of fuel cards, and pending second debate on a bill to reform the internal rules of the Assembly.

## Political Support Inside the Committee

Despite the criticism, Herrera also received backing from several lawmakers. Among them were his party colleague Francisco Brea and PRD lawmaker Raphael Buchanan, who compared the Assembly’s budget with the larger allocations assigned to the Ministry of the Presidency and the Judiciary for 2026.

The committee eventually approved the transfers with 11 votes in favor, clearing the way for the Assembly to receive the additional funds.