Panama Canal Authority: governance under Law 19 of 1997
The Autoridad del Canal de Panama, the autonomous Panamanian entity that has operated the canal since 1999, its 11-member board, and how its tolls are approved.
The Panama Canal Authority (Autoridad del Canal de Panama) is the autonomous Panamanian constitutional entity that has operated the Panama Canal since the United States handed over operations at noon on 31 December 1999. Its powers derive from Title XIV of the Political Constitution and from Organic Law No. 19 of 11 June 1997, and its board of 11 directors serves nine year terms.
The full article will cover the board composition, in which one director is designated by the President and chairs with the rank of Minister of State for Canal Affairs, one is designated by the Legislative Branch, and nine are appointed by the President with Cabinet Council consent and Legislative Assembly ratification. It will also treat the position of the Administrator, who is not a director, the Article 18(3) requirement that tolls receive final Cabinet Council approval, the Article 79 consultation and hearing process, and the Authority’s finances and contributions to the National Treasury.