Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup. This week, we take a look at the massive cleanup of the Panama City bay. We also tell you about plans for boosting Panama’s Caribbean tourism, and the official fare of the new metro has finally been announced. Here’s the latest:
Panama Tourism Sets Sights on Caribbean
Panama’s tourism industry is booming, and now it’s time to spread the wealth. For the past few years, the majority of tourists that pass through the country tend to focus on visiting the city, Pacific beaches and mountains. This year, that may change, as a number of major hotel developments are slated for the often-neglected Caribbean side of the country.
There will be three new hotels being constructed in the Colon province. One of them will be part of the Decameron Hotel chain and construction will take place in Santa Isabel where another hotel is also set to open. The third hotel will be constructed in front of Isla Grande.
The Panama Tourism Authority is predicting 2.3 million visitors to Panama this year and at the end of the year there will be 16,000 hotel rooms in Panama City and 30,000 in the entire country to support the boost in tourism.
Source: PTY Life
Panama Metro Fare Announced at 35 Cents a Ride
After a month of free rides on Panama’s brand new subway system, and much speculation, the price of a ride is now set in stone. This week, city officials announced that that the fare would be 35 cents a ride, coming through on a promise of the Martinelli government to keep a round trip fare under $1. The announcement was made on Wednesday, through the former president’s Twitter.
Martinelli said that this price will protect the “purchasing power of Panamanians” and guarantee “fast and secure transportation.” The Panama Metro was inaugurated on April 5 and has been used by more than 6 million passengers travelling free. “The Metro has operated in a stage of adaptation and adjustment, under strict security measures,” said the message on the website.
Source: Newsroom Panama
China Opens its Market to Free Trade Zones in Panama
It’s no secret that the Chinese market is the biggest in the world, and now, Panama’s going to get a piece of it. China is in the works of striking a deal with the Panamanian government, which will allow Panamanian products to enter the Chinese marketplace, via a major trade deal. This will not only boost exports dramatically, but also help them gain leverage with China regarding imports, in a strategic trade partnership.
According to information published by the news portal Panama Advisory International Group, the Association of Free Zones of Panama (Azofrap) has already been in contact with companies in the U.S. and Latin America, among others, and offering the opportunity to Panama companies that are interested in exporting to China.
Ricardo Muñoz Tejeira, president of Azofrap, says that there is an important detail, because “exporting to China requires large volumes and are promoting the integration of international value chains in which groups established business in Panama composed of one or two companies come together to assemble products and export them to China.”
Source: GoGetIt Panama
Cleaning Up the Bay of Panama – Panama’s Sanitation Plan & Progress
Panama’s bay stinks; literally. After years of neglect, the government is nearing completion of a massive project that will aim to purify the waters of the bay, and the city’s waterways. The goal is to make the water safe again, and to lower the potential health risks to residents and natural wildlife.
The bay sanitation project is another big civic achievement touted by both the national and city government, as a sign of progress and sustainability. It has an estimated cost of $692 million, and is being executed by IDAAN, which in Spanish is an acronym for “National Institute for Aqueducts and Sewers,” and is an agency of the Government of Panama. The institute’s primary goals are to improve national environmental standards, and make sure that the country’s waters are potable, clean, and free of health risks to its citizens.
By all accounts, “sanitizing” the Bay of Panama couldn’t have come at a better time. The pollution levels in the Bay of Panama are at a tipping point, and the contamination in city waterways has become a major health threat to locals. After more than a half-century of neglect, waters that were once swimmable and crystal clear have become open sewers for urban waste. This has contributed to a spike of water-born illnesses, and threatens the natural habitat of many fish, birds, and other small animals. Continue reading about cleaning up the Bay of Panama.
