New pricing rules for properties administered by Panama’s Reverted Assets Administrative Unit (UABR) took effect on October 21, 2026. Resolution MEF-RES-2026-3368, signed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on October 5, was published in Official Gazette No. 30639-A and replaces Resolution 120-12 of 2012. It covers leases, concessions, temporary permits and occupation without a valid title authorizing use of the property.

Clause one establishes an annual floor of 3% of the property’s base value for leases supporting profit-making activities. Under clause five, that value is the average of appraisals prepared by the State Assets Directorate and the Comptroller General. Charges require a reasoned technical report and also take account of market conditions, the contractual term, location, authorized use and the extent to which the property is used.

For nonprofit activities, clause two permits preferential terms capped at 3% annually, supported by a technical justification of their public or social purpose. Concessions and temporary permits have their own criteria. Where appropriate, charges may include fixed and variable components. The commercial-lease floor should therefore not be treated as a single rate applicable to every form of use of a reverted property.

Clause eight imposes an occupation charge, increased by 50%, where no valid lease, concession or permit exists. UABR must notify the occupant in writing, allowing thirty calendar days to demonstrate an authorizing title or seek regularization. Billing follows if the deadline passes without proof of title or regularization. The invoice must be paid within fifteen calendar days; late payment attracts an additional monthly surcharge of 2%.

Payment does not turn occupation into a lease or require the state to grant or renew a title. Nor does it prevent the authorities from requiring the property’s return. The charge and surcharges apply to existing and future occupation from the resolution’s effective date, without retroactive application to earlier periods. For businesses using these properties, documentation and expiry dates therefore matter when assessing continued occupancy costs.

Clause nine preserves the terms of earlier contracts until they expire. New authorizations and renewals fall under the revised framework; clause six requires charges to be reassessed and makes clear that renewal is not an acquired right. Nexo Capital will follow implementation, particularly the technical assessments determining charges and the handling of regularization procedures. The resolution does not itself establish the final amount payable for every individual property.

Research assisted by Sentinel, with editorial verification of official sources. Discover Legislat.ai