In terms of premiums, the country’s insurance sector has been growing consistently since 2009. However, by some measures, profitability has been falling. According to Panama’s insurance trade association, Asociación Panameña de Aseguradores (APADEA), technical profits (i.e., the earnings from underwriting of risks) totalled $13.5m in 2013, while in the first nine months of 2014 they were $8.4m.…
Panama has a long history of transport and logistics infrastructure investment, with one of the most significant certainly being the widening of the Panama Canal. With an initial budget of $5.25bn, recurrent costs have raised the cost of the project to more than $6bn. Some estimate the grand total may reach $7bn, over 30% more than originally planned. Cost overrun claims from contractors reached $463m…
With access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans within a few kilometres of each other, Panama is one of the best-located countries for maritime activities globally. Added to its location, the Panama Canal and its expansion make it a key player in world commerce. The current container-handling capacity for the Pacific side of Panama is estimated at 5m twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Canal expansion-related…
Although historically the Panama Canal has been the top revenue earner, the contribution of canal revenues as a percentage in the transport and logistics sector has been gradually declining. In 2008 income from the canal represented 46.6% of sector GDP, while in 2013 it amounted to 37%. This shows that other transport modalities, mainly land-based cargo, have increased in size. Most of this success…
The combination of Panamanians’ growing purchasing power and the presence of foreigner visitors eager to spend in upscale boutiques has contributed to the latest boom in the luxury retail sector. The tangible impact of this growth can be seen in the influx of international high-end brands and ongoing investments in the construction of luxury retail space. Looking Up The prosperity of Panamanian…
As one of the main challenges in Panama’s construction sector despite the rapid growth of recent years, many developers point to the process of issuing building permits, which has been fraught with delays and rising prices. Permit costs have risen significantly in some municipalities, such as San Miguelito, which raised them by 40% in 2015. The reasons given for such adjustments were that the price…
With its economy expanding rapidly, one of Panama’s key challenges is to provide public services for its inhabitants. From housing itself to sanitation and energy, these areas are providing a host of opportunities for construction through concessions, tenders and public private partnerships. Housing, especially at a social interest level, has become a government priority and a fast-growing niche…
Industry has not traditionally been among the largest sectors of Panama’s economy, which is based largely on services – especially transport and logistics, which make up more than one-fifth of GDP – but recently the sector has begun to benefit from the development of value-added services. A sizeable number of companies have in recent years begun trying to leverage Panama’s connectivity to develop…
In a country with over 60% of its electricity generation capacity powered by hydroelectric plants, renewable energy is no novelty in Panama. However, the need to diversify the generation base has led to interest in other technologies, especially wind and solar. Panama has good resources available for both. The average annual sum of global horizontal irradiance for the central region approaches 5-5.5…
Number portability enables both fixed-line and mobile customers to keep the same number when changing from one telecoms operator to another. By most measures, it is considered an essential consumer right, as well as a way to increase competition in the market. Implemented for the first time in Hong Kong in 1995, the process soon became available in most European states, the US and highly developed…
