AGENDA: 2011 Latin American Cities Conference - Panama City

In collaboration with The World Bank, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
and the Government of the Republic of Panama.
 

Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Panama Marriott Hotel
Salon Campo Alegre
Calle 52 y Ricardo Arias
Panama City, Panama

Panama is set to continue growing at one of the fastest paces in Latin America. For 2010, Panama’s growth is expected to be 7 percent, and the IMF and UN forecast the country will lead GDP growth in the region over the next five years thanks in part to its public investment plans, which is close to $20 billion for the 2009-2014 period. More than 40 multinational headquarters have moved their regional operations to Panama due to its economic and political stability and have taken advantage of its strategic position and government incentives to attract investment. By continued strengthening of its logistics sector, Panama may be well positioned to become the Singapore-style hub for Latin America, providing foreign investors with a high-standard regional platform to develop its products and services in order to reach other markets.

For the second consecutive year, the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, together with the World Bank and the government of Panama are organizing a conference to provide an in-depth analysis of these issues. This year, the conference will be focused on the country’s economic prospects and the efforts and challenges to improve its competitiveness in the logistics sector. Please join us as we address these issues with a group of internationally recognized senior business executives, government officials, economists and investment analysts.
 

Click here to access blogging, presentations, and videos from our annual Latin American Cities Conference in Panama, focusing on the country’s economic prospects and the efforts to improve its competitiveness in the logistics sector. Featuring remarks by President Ricardo Martinelli.

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.: Coffee and Registration

8:30 – 8:50 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks

• H.E. Demetrio Papadimitriu, Minister of the Presidency, Panama (confirmed)
• H.E. Roberto Henríquez, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Panama (confirmed)
• Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (confirmed)
• Felipe Jaramillo, Central America Director, The World Bank (confirmed)

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Panama Economic Outlook: Investment Grade and Beyond

• What is Panama’s economic outlook for 2011 and beyond?

  H.E. Alberto Vallarino, Minister of Finance and Economy, Panama (confirmed)
  Sergio Luna, Vice President, Department of Economic and Sociopolitical Research, Citi Latin America (confirmed)
  Peter V.A. Shaw, Regional Credit Officer for Latin America, Fitch Ratings (confirmed)
  Moderator: Rubén Ramírez, Representative Director, Panama, CAF (confirmed)

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Keynote Speaker:

10:30 – 11:00 a.m.: Coffee Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Can Panama become the Singapore/Rotterdam-style hub for Latin America?

• How did Singapore and Rotterdam become hubs in their respective regions?
• What was the role of the government and the private sector in the development of Singapore and Rotterdam as regional hubs? What government policies and/or business practices facilitated this process?
• What lessons can Panama learn from the experiences of Singapore and Rotterdam in their emergence as regional hubs?

12:15 – 2:00 p.m.: Lunch

2:00 – 3:15 p.m.: Private Sector Perspective of Panama as a Hub

• What has been your company’s experience in Panama?
• What advantages and disadvantages do multinationals see in the country when they establish operations?
• What does Panama need to do to attract more talent and become more competitive as private sector hub?

3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.: Closing Remarks