Monday, May 31, 2010

投資簽證新條例

投資簽證新條例
初到巴拿馬的人大多數都渴望取得永久居留, 漸
而入籍。 根據2008年第三條法令, 被喩為永久居民
的人是透過經濟和投資動機、特殊政策、人口統計
分佈和其他附屬類而入境巴拿馬, 及按國家採納之
特殊政策而有意願於本國安居置業的外國人。
在取得永久居留權之前必須先申請為期兩年的臨
時居留。臨時或永久居留都必須通過律師來申請。
根據簽證或許可證所擬定的條件, 申請書應包含以
下文件:
1. 經巴拿馬裔公証員鑑證過的護照影印本。
2. 附有批語或經鑑實過在原籍國家或居住
國家無犯罪紀錄之證明書, 又或者由申請
人之原籍國家駐巴拿馬大使館發出無犯
罪紀錄證明書. 此證明書需附加經公證過
的個人申誓表 (declaración jurada) 。
3. 由巴拿馬裔醫生核發之衛生證書, 證書必
須於遞交申請表前三個月有效。
4. 於國家財政局繳付$250元之移民費權利
申請, 另外須於國家移民事務局繳付$800
元作為遣返回國費用之保證金。
5. 個人申誓表 (declaración jurada), 可於
http://www.migracion.gob.pa 的網址內
下載。
移民事務局必須在六十天之內給予臨時居留或永
久居留申請者一個答覆。 如移民事務局發現申請人
所遞交之文件不全或有錯誤之處, 從通知的那一刻
算起, 給予申請人十五個工作日讓其補件和改正。從
2009年起, 若移民事務局於六十天的期限內未能給
申請人一個答覆, 將理解為申請人已通過審核。
資本投資者簽證類別
自本文截稿為止, 尚在修定最底投資金額法條。
根據法案, 將核發以下的永久居留簽証或經濟簽
証:
❖❖ 資本投資者許可證
❖❖ 個人財務許可證
❖❖ 領養老金者或退休者許可證
❖❖ 已退休之領年金者許可證
所謂投資者是那些應用外來個人資金投資的人
士, 除了被法律限制只有國民可從事之活動的例子
以外, 外來資金投資者可投資於生態、商業、工廠等
活動,或者投資於巴拿馬註冊之公司。 投資許可證
可於下列附屬類目取得:
❖❖ 以造林投資資格獲取許可證: 投資八萬元
於重新造林活動, 種植由國家環保局批核之森
林種類。
❖❖ 以開設大規模公司的資格獲取許可證: 投
資十六萬元只能獲許一個移民申請為自然人或
法人(每家公司只許有一個申請者), 如企圖違
法或侵法將導致被拒絕申請或者遣返回國之
後果。 同時必須遞交有關文件和收入或申請
者之外匯資金的銀行報表, 以及直接投資和必
須支付之最低社會資金來向移民局證明資金來
源。申請這種許可證的外國人必須是最低股份
投資顯示的唯一持有者。
公司可以是工廠或批發性質的又或者是
服務性質的, 只能是 “A”或工廠類別, 不是
“B” 零售業的就可。 同時必須達到以下要
求:
1. 至少雇用五個巴拿馬裔的全職員工, 薪水不
能底於法定數目. 書寫清楚每位職員的工作
崗位以及職責。
2. 按法申報繳納職員的社會保險金 (長生會)。
其他經濟動機簽證
❖❖ 以個人財政資格獲許可證: 這是為那些有
足夠的錢財來支付於巴拿馬停留時間之費用的
移民和其家人而核發。 為此, 必須證明有開至
少三年不動, 且有存額三十萬元的巴拿馬銀行
定存帳戶, 又或者證明有三十萬元的不動產, 也
可以證明前兩者加起來的總額有三十萬元。
❖❖ 以領養老金者或退休者資格獲許可證: 這
是為那些一個月最少可以領取一千元退休金的
退休人仕而核發。
❖❖ 以退休領息者(食利者)資格獲許可證:這是
為了那些入境巴拿馬而又已經從活躍生活退出
來的人士而核發。 該人士必須證明每月至少有
兩千元入息收入, 此收入的來源必須是因為在
巴拿馬國家銀行開了五年定期存款而獲得的純
粹月息。
特殊政治簽證
❖❖ 投資者也可通過於特殊法律保護地區之內
投資而獲取永久居留簽證。
❖❖ 於巴拿馬-太平洋特別經濟地區投資二十五
萬元開設公司的移民者可獲許可證。.
❖❖ 於出口加工區投資二十五萬元開設促銷廠或
工廠, 或者在其地區開設其他性質的公司之移
民可獲許可證。
❖❖ 投資客戶服務中心之移民可獲許可證。
❖❖ 投資十五萬於電影業之移民可獲許可證。
值得慎重強調的是有關的最底投資金額隨時
都有變動或上漲的可能性。
儘管這些簽證種類要求補充手續以及公司文
件必須遞交齊全, 然而這卻代表著一個更加安穩
的機會使新移民取得永久居留。
本文作者Álvaro Aguilar Alfú是中巴職業
協會會長及Lombardi Aguilar Group法律
事務所合夥人兼律師。 www.laglex.com
作者是 Alvaro Agular Alfu, 是Lombardi
Aguilar Group 法律事務所合夥人兼律
www.laglex.com

Alvaro Aguilar Alfú, Presidente de
la Asociación de Profesionales Chino
Panameño (APROCHIPA),
y abogado socio de la firma
Lombardi Aguilar Group
www.laglex.com

http://www.dbcstudio.com/pdf/oct-dic08web.pdf

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Is the Colon Free Trade Zone for you?

The Colon Free Zone was formed in 1948 with 10 companies in 38 hectares, after a 1946 feasibility study was made by U.S. free trade zone consultant Thomas E. Lyons.




COLON FREE ZONE MULTIMODAL LOGISTICS CENTER OF THE AMERICAS

About a year ago, the Management of the Colon Free Zone, together with the Inter-Oceanic Region Authority, the Directorate of Civil Aeronautics and the Maritime Authority of Panama, started an ambitious project to turn the Colon Free Zone into the largest Multimodal Logistics Center of the Americas. This project includes the development of multimodal transportation and logistics services for Free Zone in the Coco Solito, France Field and Telfers areas, covering the use of the adjacent cargo transportation centers such as the maritime ports of Manzanillo Internacional Terminal, Colon Ports Terminal, Colon Container Terminal, Panama Ports, the Panama Railroad and the Enrique A. Jimenez Airport at France Field.

Background

At the beginning of the year 2000, representatives of each one of the entities involved in the project’s development gathered together in a meeting and approved the establishment of a technical commission to design and draw up the conceptual planning and development scheme of the areas making up the multimodal center. Apart from agreeing that there should be a conceptual plan for the reverted areas, the port, airport and railroad systems, and an integral segregated zone promoting the development of a logistics center for trade, services, transportation and industry, the project’s vision was defined, as well as the actual borders of the expansion area.




The Reasons behind the Project

The project was carried out, considering several factors that directly affected the efficiency of the center and consequently the internationalization of the production, the technological and regional economic changes. The search for an optimization of the efficiency in the means of transportation and the new modalities of world trade, are important to maintain the quality of the business undertaken in the Colon Free Zone.

The transfer of merchandise from our territory to the rest of the Americas and the rest of the world, together with strengths like our geographical position, the dollar as legal currency, the financial and insurance center, forces us to maximize all our other resources of the reverted areas, ports, highways, railroads and airports to ensure a site with excellent cargo services generated from this trade center.

The conjunction of all those indicated strengths make all users and customers of the Colon Free Zone to keep up the highest international competitive levels, reducing production, distribution, marketing and logistics costs in general and especially transportation efficiency. As a consequence, the reliability of delivery terms and the frequency of the services provided would also improve, so that this sector in the free trade, industry, transport, services and logistics zone would become the largest in the Hemisphere.

This would be an effort in enlarging and improving the currently existing facilities and infrastructure in the Colon Free Zone, by the private as well as the public sector in order to achieve a common benefit.

Other Reasons

The Colon Free Zone expansion and Multimodal Logistics Center Project is not only linked to transportation, but it is rather more of a strategy to improve the goods and services supply chain as well as looking to achieve an optimal competitive level towards the latest modalities and requirement of world trade, making the real difference between temporary users and permanent and satisfied customers.


Benefits Of The Multimodal Logistics Center
  • Development of multimodal transport for world trade.

  • Establishment of a customs storage and distribution center.

  • Installation of guard houses to check merchandise entering and leaving the Multimodal Center.

  • Establishment of Hi-Tech industries and, light manufacturing companies, taking advantage of a part of the reverted areas.

  • E-Commerce development opportunities.

  • Private investment for more than US $700 millions dollars.

  • Enhanced competitiveness upon becoming a logistical center for trade, service, industry and transport and its consequent positioning in every sphere world-wide.

  • Development of a new model strengthening international trade activities.

  • Improvement of public services and utilities.

  • Increase tourism.

  • Increase in national and foreign investment in the Colon region area.

  • Generation of thousands of jobs.


REQUIREMENTS TO OPERATE IN THE COLON FREE ZONE

General Rules and Regulations

Pursuant to Law-Decree 18 of 1948, corporations operating in the Colon Free Zone must comply with the following requirements:

  • No minimum investment capital requirement

  • No business license required

  • The following documentary evidence is required:

Articles of Incorporation, Bank and Commercial references.

  • Employ at least five (5) local workers

  • Re-Export at least 60% of the imported merchandise

  • Pay rent in the first five days of every month.

Management will collect a surcharge at an annual rate of 10% on late payments. If the client is more than two months behinds, the Operating code, it will not be possible for the company or corporation to operate in the Colon Free Zone.

  • Report the commercial movements of all the merchandise entering and leaving the Free Zone, on the approved forms at the time of the operation.

Tax Benefits

  • 0% Tax on Export Profits

  • 0% Duties and Quotas on Imports and Exports

  • 0% Billing Duties

  • Very Competitive Costs

  • Immigration visas for executives

Importer Advantages

  • To be able purchase IN A SINGLE PLACE an excellent range of products

  • With Credit Facilities

  • With dispatching in less than 24 hours

Exporter Advantages

To have access from one site in the Heart of the Americas to consumers in:

  • The American Hemisphere

  • Europe

  • Asia

  • Africa

  • Australia

  • Ship Chandlering Services


WAYS TO SET UP OPERATIONS IN THE COLON FREE ZONE

Lease Agreement

Operating Costs:

A, C, D and E

Urbanized Areas

France Field $0.35 m2

Colon $0.50 m2

Non-Urbanized Areas

$0.20 m2

(The customer assumes the cost of urbanization. None available)

Building Lease Agreement


Operating Costs of a property in the Free Zone: A, C, D and E


Operating Costs of a private property:

A, B, C, D and E

Free Zone Property

Colon: $2.40

France Field $1.75

Coco Solo $1.65

Private Property

Rent agreed upon between the parties, authorized by the General Manager’s Office based on resolution Nº 04-92 dated 25 March 1992.

Operating Permit

Representation Agreement

Operating Costs:

A, C, D and E.

Percentage

(For storage, handling, etc)

Agreed upon between the parties

Public Warehouse

Operating Costs:

Only A and E

0.5% of the merchandise’s F.O.B. value

(Freight on board)


OPERATING COSTS

A. Operating code (Annual) $200.00
Given to a Company in order to be able to make commercial transactions in the Free Zone

B. OPERATING LICENSE (Annual) $1,200.00
Given to a Company after its establishment in the Free Zone has been approved and all legal paperwork has been done.

C. RENT (Monthly)
Cost per square meter multiplied by the number of square meters, (depending on the area)

D. GARBAGE COLLECTION (Monthly)
Minimum $ 30.00
Maximum $ 120.00

E. SECURITY (Monthly $ 30.00)

Source: Colon Free Zone

For more information, contact www.laglex.com

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Changes in Consular Business Appointments at the US Embassy in Panama

.

Cambios al procedimiento de visas de negocio para los EEUU

Jeudi 20 mai 2010 9h55
Due to the processing requirements of the new DS-160 non-immigrant visa application, the Embassy will no longer have walk-in appointments available for business travelers. If you have a routine trip to the United States planned for business, please fill out the DS-160 application, submit it electronically, and contact Banco General to schedule an appointment. Additional details on scheduling a non-immigrant visa appointment can be found on our website: http://panama.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html. We strive to keep the wait for all appointments at a week or below.

If you have an urgent need for business travel, please send us an e-mail with the word "Business" in the subject line. In addition, the e-mail should include your full name, the planned date of travel, a short description of the purpose of the trip, and why it is urgent and last-minute in nature. Please note these emergency visas appointments are typically reserved for life and death situations.

___________________________________

Debido a los requisitos para procesar el nuevo formulario DS-160 para visas de No inmigrante, la Embajada de los Estados Unidos, ya no recibirá personas entrando para visas de negocios. Si usted tiene un viaje de rutina para negocios a los Estados Unidos, por favor llenar el formulario DS-160 y mandarlo electrónicamente y contacte al Banco General para una cita. Para más información detallada acerca de una cita para visa de No inmigrante, visite nuestra página de red: http://panama.usembassy.gov/non-inmmigrantvisas.html. Procuramos mantener la espera para una cita por lo menos una semana.

Si usted tiene una emergencia para un viaje de negocios, por favor mandar un correo electrónico con la palabra "Business" en la línea de Tema. Para añadir, el correo electrónico debería incluir su nombre completo, el día que tiene planeado para viajar, una breve descripción del porque de su viaje, y porque es urgente, y por que la última hora. Por favor tome en cuenta que estas citas de emergencia son normalmente para situaciones de vida o muerte.