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Representing $5.1bn and 14% of the nation’s growing GDP, construction is a major component of Panama’s economy. From infrastructure to commercial and residential building, all subsectors have seen important advances in the past year. According to the Panama Construction Chamber (Cámara Panameña de la Construcción, CAPAC), the sector saw 14% growth in 2013-14 and is set...

As one of the main challenges in Panama’s construction sector despite the rapid growth of recent years, many developers point to the process of issuing building permits, which has been fraught with delays and rising prices. Permit costs have risen significantly in some municipalities, such as San Miguelito, which raised them by 40% in 2015. The reasons given for such...

With its economy expanding rapidly, one of Panama’s key challenges is to provide public services for its inhabitants. From housing itself to sanitation and energy, these areas are providing a host of opportunities for construction through concessions, tenders and public private partnerships. Housing, especially at a social interest level, has become a government priority...

What changes will local ports undergo in response to the completion of the Panama Canal expansion?

Despite slower GDP growth in 2014 – 6.5% compared to 8.4% in 2013 – Panama remains one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America and the Caribbean, with regional counterparts averaging 5.5%. According to figures from the World Bank and the IMF, while the Panamanian economy is currently the 13th largest in the region, with a nominal GDP of $43.8bn, growth is set...