Circular No.41/80 provides for shipowners to obtain the Provisional "Patente" (Registration) number and the radio call letters for those vessels that require such information before they are completed in their construction phase.

In this manner, those interested in registering vessels under construction in the National Merchant Marine will be able to pay the registry fee as well as the fees for the registration of the title deed and to obtain the Provisional "Patente" (Registration) number and the corresponding radio call letters, without having those documents issued.

When the construction phase of the vessel has been completed, the interested party shall then pay the annual single rate ("tasa unica anual"), annual tax ("impuesto anual"), inspection tax where applicable, documentation charges ("Patente", radio license, etc.) and from that date the respective periods of payment for taxes and validity of the documents to be issued will commence to be computed.

We wish to clarify that the procedure established is only for those cases in which the issuance of the "Patente" and the radio license documents are not required; otherwise, all the payments required for registration will have to be made from the date of issue of the documents and the tonnage tax and annual single tax will be computed from that date.

June 1981

Inquiries concerning the subject of this Circular should be directed to:
Directorate of Consular and Maritime Affairs, New York Representative Office,
Republic of Panama, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10036, U.S.A.