XIII National Competitiveness Forum

"Boosting competitiveness: retaking the strategic roadmap",

October 26, 2021

As part of the activities for a solid economic reactivation, we were invited to participate in the XIII National Competitiveness Forum "Boosting Competitiveness: retaking the strategic roadmap", organized by the National Competitiveness Center, who are organizing it for the thirteenth year. This national event promotes a space for dialogue between the public and private sectors to identify and establish the actions required by the country to achieve higher levels of competitiveness. A country with high levels of competitiveness enjoys the conditions to achieve greater and better socioeconomic development.

PROPANAMA attended one of the working tables, organized from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., entitled: "Export and Investment Promotion" to hear opinions, proposals and strategies to support the economic recovery of our country.

Other working groups included topics such as: labor market, connectivity, banking, state processing, business innovation, education, environment, business confidence and institutional framework.

The forum served as an activity to analyze the actions that public entities could consider to strengthen productivity and competitiveness issues, the first being the combination of policies for greater access to credit with measures that expand the adoption of digital transformation, access to management tools and markets; the dissemination of technological innovations, internationalization and incentives for productive arrangements around anchor companies that disseminate knowledge and technologies for smaller companies. Secondly, collaboration with companies and the formal and professional education system to strengthen people's skills and competencies in a context of high unemployment and growing use of new technologies. And third, the promotion of horizontal conditions that impact on the productivity of SMEs.

The National Competitiveness Forum is an initiative that promotes a space for dialogue between the public and private sectors to identify and establish the actions required by the country to achieve higher levels of competitiveness. It brings together the highest authorities of the Government of Panama, as well as businessmen, academia and labor leaders, among others.