Panama’s consumer protection authority, Acodeco, has reached an agreement with local mini-supermarket associations to resume the sale of subsidized 25-pound liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks.
The deal ends a period of uncertainty for retailers and consumers after the regulator ruled out imposing fines for alleged discrepancies in tank content.
The resolution comes after more than three months of stop-start negotiations and public disputes that began in late February.
Acodeco administrator Ramón Abadi confirmed that while the sales will continue, investigations into potential irregularities regarding the weight of the cylinders will proceed.
This approach aims to balance consumer protection with the need to maintain stable access to subsidized energy for households.
The dispute had previously roiled local energy markets, raising concerns about potential supply bottlenecks and price volatility in the retail LPG sector.