On July 29, 2014, soon after assuming office, the government of Juan Carlos Varela unveiled a multimillion-dollar plan to revive the agricultural sector at the National Agriculture Institute (Instituto Nacional de Agricultura, INA). The plan, known as pacto nacional por el agro, or the national pact for agriculture, proposes 10 measures to incentivise local production in an effort to enhance the country’s…
A shortage of skilled workers remains one of the most commonly voiced concerns of business professionals in Panama. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Competitiveness Report 2014-15” lists an inadequately educated workforce as the second-most problematic factor in doing business in the country. With the skills shortage having an impact on the labour market, authorities are looking at ways to align…
The most recent and relevant developments related to intellectual property (IP) in Panama have been the amendment of Law 35 of 1996 (Panama’s Industrial Property Law) through Law 61 of 2012, and the amendment of Law 15 of 1994 (Copyright Law) through Law 64 of 2012. These amendments have enabled Panama to update two laws that for many years were considered models for the IP in the region. Panama…
This chapter contains information on hotels, government agencies and other listings, as well as useful tips for visitors on a range of topics such as visa requirements, currency and communications.…
Featuring an interview with Eduardo Morgan Jr, Principal Partner and Chairman of the Board at Morgan & Morgan, this chapter provides an overview of Panama’s legal framework, covering a range of topics from intellectual property rights to labour laws and investment incentives, among others.…
This chapter provides an overview of Panama’s tax regime, covering areas of particular interest to investors such as corporate and individual income tax, dividend tax, taxation treaties and import duties, among other areas. In addition, it features a viewpoint by Luis Laguerre, Partner at KPMG Panama, on tax treaties and Panama’s international financial services cluster.…
Despite a number of setbacks, Panama’s health care sector has seen significant advancement in recent years. The former administration of Ricardo Martinelli oversaw a period of significant infrastructure expansion, and the country is now closer than ever to achieving universal coverage. Meanwhile, the government of Juan Carlos Varela has remained committed to improving access and increasing efficiency,…
Despite notable achievements in the past decade, including reaching universal coverage at the primary level, by international standards the quality of Panama’s education system continues to lag significantly. Panama ranked 83rd out of a total of 144 countries for the quality of its education system in the World Economic Forum’s “Global Competitiveness Report 2014-15”, down eight places from…
Though agricultural development in Panama has historically been hampered by a series of structural issues, including fragmented ownership of land, limited access to financing and deficient transport infrastructure, efforts are now under way to boost agricultural output. According to Panama’s National Institute of Statistics and Census, agriculture and livestock GDP increased steadily over the 2010-13…
