Panama Chamber Urges Support for Small Businesses to Spur Economy

Panama's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (Cciap) has called for bolstering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (Mipyme) to drive economic growth and job creation. The proposals emerged from the first National Mipyme 360 Congress in Santiago de Veraguas, where various stakeholders analyzed challenges facing smaller businesses.

The chamber advocates for connecting Mipyme with financing sources, financial education, universities, innovation centers, and international markets. The goal is to enhance their production capacity, foster innovation, boost exports, and create more employment opportunities. Cciap also highlighted the importance of strengthening productive linkages, ensuring large investments create opportunities for national suppliers and businesses.

Regarding the Donoso mine, Cciap stressed that its impact should be assessed through the lens of employment, investment, and potential Mipyme opportunities in sectors like transport, logistics, maintenance, and services. However, this support is conditional. Any decision on the mine must be legally solid, environmentally responsible, technically feasible, economically convenient, and transparent.

"Not deciding has costs," the chamber argued, emphasizing the need for serious, substantiated decisions that prioritize national interest. Cciap urged the government, private sector, academia, and financial institutions to fulfill their responsibilities in creating conditions for increased production, investment attraction, and job generation across the country. The immediate challenge, according to Cciap, is to move from proposals to execution and build a stronger economy with more robust businesses, greater investment, and new employment opportunities.

“

Not deciding has costs