Chavez invited
Members of the Municipal Council
of Panama City have invited the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez,
to participate in the Latin American Congress of Mayors and
City Councillors to be held in Panama in September. In early
April, Venezuelan councillors visited Panama to refine details
of the congress and promised to try and get the presence of
Chavez at the inauguration.
First Lady in Qatar
Following the inauguration of the Third Annual International
Forum on Children with Special Needs of the Shafallah Center
in the city of Doha, Qatar, the first lady, Vivian Fernández
de Torrijos, made a tour of the center. She is participating
as one of the special guests of the event because of her national
and international commitment in the area of disabilities, and
her position as Special Envoy for Human Rights and Dignity of
People with Disabilities and Their Families at UNICEF.
$2,200 per square meter
The daily “La Estrella” reported as an
example of rising real estate prices that the square meter in
the neighborhood of San Sebastian (adjacent to Punta Pacifica)
is valued at between US$1,800 and US$2,000 dollars.“Some
people have even got up to US$2,200”, an owner of the
area, was reported as saying. The area is one of modest homes
built in the 60´s and 70´s.
|
Inflation
rises
The consumer price index (CPI), the main indicator
of inflation, showed an increase of 8.8% in March in comparison
with March 2007, it was reported yesterday by the Comptroller
General of the Republic. The prices of food and beverages (15%),
transport (13.3%) and housing (7.6%) pushed up the cost of living.
Bolivian president plans visit
The ambassador of Bolivia in Panama, Edgar Solis,
reported that he is coordinating a forthcoming visit to Panama
by the president of his country, Evo Morales. Solis spoke with
Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, president of the National Assembly, on
the agenda to be developed. Morales is to receive an honorary
doctorate, awarded by the University of Panama, and he is also
to discuss the internal crisis that faces sectors who are fighting
for independence in some departments of Bolivia.
Coffee tasting
The twelfth coffee tasting event “The Best of
Panama” held in Bambito, in the province of Chiriqui showed
that Panama is now known to produce some of the best coffees
in the World. The Geisha coffee variety from the farm, La Esperanza,
was the most appreciated at the smelling and tasting by 18 international
judges who qualified 32 samples of special Panama coffee. The
samples qualified the brands for participation in the virtual
auction of special coffees to be held on May 21. |
Urge mass transit system
The Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects
(SPIA), requested the government to put priority on a mass transit
system in the capital city. For SPIA, this is a matter that
should be given“the character of a State problem”.
The guild also asked professionals to publish studies and projections
of transport systems and a proposed timetable for their implementation.
Opinion polls eyed
The Electoral Tribunal will be stricter with public
opinion polling companies during the campaign leading up to
the presidential election of May 3, 2009. Companies intending
to conduct surveys must register with the Institutional Executive
Directorate of the Electoral Tribunal, as required under electoral
reforms contained in Act 60 of December 29, 2006, said the Executive
Director of the tribunal, Yara Campo.
New Hotel for the Old Quarter
An investor group is going forward on a project to
build a five-star hotel of 139 rooms on the site of the old
Union Club in Casco Viejo, even though the Administrative Attorney
General said, almost a year ago, that these lands must revert
to the Nation as a beach area, it was reported in the daily
“La Prensa”. Involved are 5,512 square meters on
which two buildings will make a total construction area of 15,848
square meters, divided into five levels (including a basement)
and an attic with a bay frontage of 80 meters.
Almost a million contributors in CSS
New contributors who joined the Social Security Fund
(CSS) last year, totaled 52,336, of whom 57% are male and 43%
are female. This represents an increase of 12.8% over 2006.
Active contributors to the CSS now reach 995,000.
Yucca for ethanol
The production of ethanol from cassava promises to
be an opportunity for small farmers, and this would be done
without affecting the prices of food, said Bernardo Ospina,
a specialist and executive director of the Consortium of Latin
American and Caribbean in Support of Research and Development
of Yucca (Clayuca).
Bank loans soar
Banks operating in the new loans arena lent US$2,621
million in February, which is 16% or US$369 million more than
in the same period of 2007. In terms of absolute change, the
areas to which these funds have been allocated are mainly the
commercial sector, which received US$354 million; industry,
with US$119 million, and construction, which received US$65
million, according to information compiled by the Banking Commission.
Embraers for Copa
Copa Airlines took delivery of their Embraer 190 aircraft
number 12, assembled in Brasil. “With the arrival of this
new aircraft we continue the expansion and modernization of
our fleet”, said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa.
U.S. Ambassador notes problems
The presence of drug traffickers in Panama is a serious
problem for Panamanians, creating instability in the country,
the US ambassador to Panama, William Eaton, said during a visit
to the province of Colon, he said that in recent months he has
noted a marked decline in security in the country, according
to a report in“La Estrella”.
Virgin in U.S.A.
Virgin America Inc., the recently inaugurated US domestic
airline of the Virgin Group Ltd. founded by Sir Richard Branson,
will receive US$100 million in additional capital from US and
British investors, according to The Wall Street Journal. Investors
in the Burlingame, California-based airline expressed confidence
in Virgin America´s ability to weather the current airline
industry crisis and are moving ahead with their original business
plan, including financing for further expansion. |
Food prices
“Some unscrupulous traders” are speculating
with products in the basic family food basket said the Minister
of Agricultural Development, Guillermo Salazar. According to
him, with the increased demand for products,“these traders
raise their prices beyond what is correct”.
Meetings were held at the Ministry of Agriculture
between producers, traders and the government to try to rationalize
food prices.
The National Economic Council (CENA) approved
US$15 million for the Institute of Agricultural Marketing (IMA),
to continue with the Solidarity Food Program, said Enelda Medrano
Gonzalez, Viceminister of Economy. This fund will be used to
guarantee supplies of Compita products, including rice, lentils,
oil, beans, potatoes, sugar and flour. Medrano said that coffee
will soon be added to the range of Compita products.
Panama logistics fair
As a result of the success of the first version of
Panama Logistica Expo 2007; the second version will take place
from October 15 to 16 at the Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Convention Center of the Hotel El Panama.
Panama´s transport and maritime newspaper
The Bulletin described as “striking” the strides
made by the Panama Chamber of Commerce and Industries, in conjunction
with the government agency, the National Secretariat for Science,
Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) in promoting Panama as a
business and transshipment hub, and launching Expologistica,
an exposition dedicated to all modes of transport.
No smoking
A rigorous antitobacco law will go into effect in
Panama at midnight on Thursday, April 24. There will be no more
smoking in public places in Panama, namely casinos, restaurants,
hotels and bars. The law also forbids “subliminal”
publicity in the media.
Local businesses have been well informed that
the law, passed late last year, would come into effect today.
The Veneto Casino has confirmed that no smoking will be allowed
inside their installations after Thursday. Restaurante El Trapiche
on Via Argentina informed The Visitor that they will not even
be able to allow smoking on their outdoor patio. A spokesman
of the management explained, “The neighbors could call
us in if we let somebody smoke there, and then we would have
problems”.
The measures prohibit smoking in private and
government offices, public transport— to include ferry
service—and even the common areas of buildings as well
as at sporting events. Some of the cigarettes people buy in
Panama will now bear even more clear messages about the habit
like: “Fumar puede causar la muerte” (Smoking can
cause death). |
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