Acodeco Reports 367 Senior-Consumer Cases and 41 Sanctions Through September

PANAMA, October 23, 2026 — Panama’s consumer-protection authority, Acodeco, reported 367 cases involving possible noncompliance with protections for retirees, pensioners and older adults between January and September 2026.

The authority said it imposed 41 sanctions totaling B/.36,270 under Law 6 of 1987, which establishes benefits for retirees, pensioners and older persons. The report separates a complaint or case from a final sanction; that distinction is important when reading the figures.

Where the reported cases were concentrated

Acodeco listed 97 cases involving interest rates, 89 related to the 25% restaurant discount, 51 concerning the absence of informative signs, 49 involving a refusal to apply discounts, 21 connected to the 25% air-transport discount and 15 involving personal and commercial loans.

Its sanctions included ten totaling B/.19,600 for interest-rate issues, eight totaling B/.1,555 for missing informative signs and four fines totaling B/.1,080 for failure to apply the 25% restaurant benefit.

Information is part of enforcement

Visible notices are not a minor detail. They help consumers know a benefit exists before a transaction becomes a dispute. Acodeco urged businesses to comply with the law and maintain informative signs in visible places. It also encouraged retirees, pensioners and older adults to stay informed and make a complaint when an establishment refuses the applicable benefit.

Readers should consult Acodeco directly for the current process, evidence requirements and the scope of any particular benefit. Panama Now Online is reporting the authority’s published figures, not deciding individual complaints.

Source: Metro Libre report citing Acodeco data, October 22, 2026.