Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Panama recalls EU ambassador over tax haven list
Panama recalled its ambassador to the EU from Brussels for consultations after the Central American country was included on a European Union blacklist of countries deemed as tax havens, the government said on Wednesday.
European Union finance ministers adopted a blacklist of 17 jurisdictions deemed tax havens on Tuesday, in an unprecedented step to counter worldwide tax avoidance, although they did not agree on financial levies for the listed countries.
“Given the unfortunate incorporation of the country in this discriminatory list, the Republic of Panama has decided to call its Ambassador to the European Union, Dario Chiru, to assess the steps to be followed moving forward,” the government said in a statement.
Source: Reuters
IFF Panama, Copa Airlines Announce In-Flight Partnership.
IFF will curate a special selection of IFF Panama titles to slot in with the already available content on the ariline’s long-haul flights starting in January.
The International Film Festival of Panama (IFF Panama), in keeping with international trends, has signed a distribution deal with Copa Airlines, Panama’s flag carrier.
In April 2014, United Airlines and Tribeca first announced a sponsorship deal which saw the festival curating a selection of films which could be viewed on long-distant flights, while Cannes Film Festival has long been partners with Air France, who boast “the best cinema worldwide” on board their flights. For Latin America however, the Panama deal is groundbreaking.
Source: Variety
Panama and China Sign Maritime Transport Agreement.
The Republic of Panama and the People’s Republic of China have signed an agreement on maritime transport, in presence of China’s president Xi Jiping and Panama’s president Juan Carlos Varela, during his first visit to this country after establishing diplomatic relations.
Subscribed by Panama’s Minister of Maritime Affairs Jorge Barakat and Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng, the agreement highlights a milestone in the relations of Panamanian and Chinese maritime sectors as it will enhance the cooperation and development in the traffic of commercial vessels between both countries for facilitating cargo and passengers transport.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
5 Reasons to Love Panama
Whether you’re in Panama for business, pleasure, or doing an exploration trip before relocating, we’re sure you’ve already got your reasons to be curious about it. There’s lots to love about this small ocean-uniting nation, and it’s no secret to international tourists and expats (and certainly not to Panamanians themselves). With so much to love about Panama, it’s hard to put it all in one simple list. That being said, here are five of some of our top reasons to love Panama, whether for living or travel.
One of the biggest draws of Panama is its warm climate and year-round summer weather. Panama is hot all year round (in most of the country), with temperatures ranging from 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s perfect weather for the beach. Even during rainy season (May-November), you’ll find outdoor activities are still a year-round thing, as it rains for 2-3 hours a day, and is sunny most mornings and evenings. The cooler parts of Panama still have summer/spring weather year-round as well, so you’ll never really need even so much as a sweater (unless it’s for the A/C in the malls).
Source: International Relocation Firm Blog
