Bill 198, filed before the National Assembly as a citizen proposal on October 2, 2026, is at the preliminary stage and pending committee adoption, with the Economy and Finance Committee noted in the record. It is not sponsored by a deputy: it is a citizen proposal submitted to the National Directorate for the Promotion of Citizen Participation, under articles 111 and 112 of the Internal Rules of the National Assembly.

Its article 1 creates the figure of the Project Supervisor, a specialized natural or legal person hired by the public entity for technical monitoring of the execution of infrastructure works. Article 2 sets its scope: it would be mandatory in public contracts whose value is equal to or greater than forty million balboas (US$40,000,000) and in public-private partnership projects from seventy-five million balboas (US$75,000,000). Article 4 adds to the glossary of Law 22 of 2006 the definition of the supervisor as a figure with technical independence from the contractor; articles 5, 6 and 7 add to that law the new articles 117-A, 117-B and 117-C, which regulate the supervision contract, the functions of monitoring schedules, costs and quality, and the supervisor's liability. Articles 8 to 11 replicate the scheme in Law 93 of 2019 on public-private partnerships, with articles 114-A to 114-D.

For the State, the figure seeks to reduce cost overruns, delays and breaches in large-scale works, a recurring complaint in public procurement. For the market, it would open a new and mandatory contracting space: engineering, consulting and project management firms with specific experience could compete for these supervision contracts, which article 117-A requires to be awarded through the applicable selection procedures and by proving technical suitability. Article 117-C clarifies that the supervisor does not assume administrative powers or replace the contracting entity, so oversight would remain with the State.

The effect is not immediate. The proposal must be adopted by committee, debated and approved in three debates before becoming law. Article 13 orders the Executive, through the General Directorate of Public Procurement, to regulate it within six months of its enactment, and article 12 defers to the following fiscal year the allocation of budget items. Until a law and regulations exist, the obligation to hire supervisors is not enforceable. Nexo Capital will follow the committee adoption of Bill 198 and its progress in the Economy and Finance Committee.