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Overview

Reaching a plateau: Growth is expected to slow in 2014 as infrastructure projects wrap up
OBG
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Following high economic growth and the massive volume of investment in infrastructure projects of the past few years, the insurance sector in Panama has enjoyed a prosperous period recently. It is the largest insurance market in Central America and, despite being a small economy, in terms of market penetration and insurance density lags behind only Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela in Latin America.…

Overview

Moving along: Continuing to expand the transport and logistics network
OBG
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A geostrategic location and the presence of the Panama Canal make Panama a natural centre for transportation and logistics. In fact, the transportation, logistics and communication sector combined is easily the largest contributor to GDP, a fact recognised by the current administration. In its Strategic Economic Plan 2010-14, the logistics sector, along with finance, agriculture and tourism, was identified…
Interview

OBG talks to Enrique García Rodríguez, Executive President, Development Bank of Latin America (Corporación Andina de Fomento, CAF)
OBG
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Interview:Enrique García Rodríguez What can Latin America learn about economic integration from the history of the EU? ENRIQUE GARCÍA RODRIGUEZ: European integration offers important lessons for Latin America. Europe has made a great political effort over the years. This continuity is one of the factors in the success of the EU’s integration, compared with Latin America whose own efforts…
Interview

OBG talks to Ed Fast, Canadian Minister of International Trade
OBG
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Interview:Ed Fast What impact will the Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have on Panama’s mining sector? ED FAST: Canadian companies are major players in the extractive sector, with mining interests in 8000-plus sites in over 100 countries. The updated investment provisions ensure that Canadian investors will be treated as well as their Panamanian counterparts in the creation, acquisition…
Interview

OBG talks to Nicolás Ardito Barletta, Director-General, National Centre for Competitiveness
OBG
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Interview:Nicolás Ardito Barletta How can Panama diversify while still leveraging its advantage in international connectivity? NICOLAS ARDITO BARLETTA: I think it is important to note that the cluster of industries built on connectivity is already diverse. The cluster includes 26 activities that do not all move within the same business cycle. As a small market economy, our growth will be export-driven.…
Interview

OBG talks to Fernando Marciscano, General Manager, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica Panameña (ETESA)
OBG
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Interview:Fernando Marciscano What is Panama’s overall strategy to achieve power self-sufficiency? FERNANDO MARCISCANO: In 2012, Panama’s installed capacity was 2200 MW, which allowed it to meet overall demand. To address the growing need for electricity (which increases 7% annually, on average), the government has attempted to foster greater power generation capacity through modernisation…
Interview

OBG talks to José Pacheco Tejeira, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade
OBG
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Interview:José Pacheco Tejeira How is Panama working to encourage and facilitate increased foreign investment? JOSE PACHECO TEJEIRA: Proinvex is focused on attracting more European and Asian investors, and we are also developing the opportunities being created by new free trade agreements (FTAs). Encouraging the establishment by multinationals in Panama is also a very big a part of our strategy.…
Interview

OBG talks to Ernesto Orillac, Deputy Minister of Tourism
OBG
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Interview:Ernesto Orillac How would you assess Panama’s rise from 56th to 37th place in the World Economic Forum’s “2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report”? ERNESTOORILLAC: We have worked on three key pillars to raise competitiveness. Firstly, we have improved levels of connectivity, both domestically speaking and on the international stage. Panama is now connected to…
Interview

OBG talks to Jorge Quijano, Administrator, Panama Canal Authority (ACP)
OBG
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Interview:Jorge Quijano To what extent will the global economic recovery and shifting trade patterns aid revenue forecasts? JORGE QUIJANO: World maritime trade is expected to strengthen in the long term through the transportation of raw materials and hydrocarbons such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal, originating from the Atlantic coast of North and South America, and headed to Asia…
Interview

OBG talks to President Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal
OBG
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Interview:President Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal With public investment in infrastructure at almost 9% of GDP, how sustainable is this going forward? RICARDO ALBERTO MARTINELLI BERROCAL: My government has made a bigger investment in its five years of administration than any of the four previous presidential leaderships. After the death of General Omar Torrijos, there was a marked decrease…