The president-elect has announced that if it is necessary he will change the restrictive approach on electricity generation by private companies promoted by the Citizens Action Party.
So far the party of the newly elected president has postulated restricting power generation by private companies to a maximum of 15% of the total generated nationwide. Luis Guillermo Solís himself had declared he was "pro-ICE" in relation to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, the state company that dominates a quasi monopoly level of production of electricity.
The connection to the global capital market will allow for diversification of the sources of financing for local businesses and access to a broader investor base.
The agreement signed between the Panama Stock Exchange, Euroclear Bank and Central Latinoamericana de Valores will provide a direct link to international financial markets.
Prensa.com reports that "the link, which is scheduled for April 29, will allow for the negotiation, settlement and custody of securities issued locally. In this way, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Panama's position as a key financial center for Latin America is strengthened. "
The Monte Rosa mill will invest $100 million in a new boiler to increase the amount of power generated from bagasse from 32 to 55 MW .
The mill plans to increase the amount of energy generated based on sugar cane waste by investing in a new boiler. With this extra power, the company aims to supply about 10% of domestic demand.
"That will require an additional investment of about a hundred million dollars to install a new boiler that will allow us to grow from 6.3 million to 7.3 quintals of sugar per harvest. But the most important thing is not more sugar, but to generate more energy. We want to deliver 55 megawatt hours of clean renewable energy and have the ability to generate all year round, not just during the harvest ", said Bernardo Chamorro, general manager of Monte Rosa in an article on Laprensa.com.ni .
The maquila industry and the Honduran government have agreed on an innovative formula that enables funding of $90 million to be used to install a fifth turbine at El Cajon dam.
The government and industry have agreed to work together in favor of the economy. With an investment of $90 million for the maquila industry a fifth turbine will start operating at El Cajon dam, which will increase its generation capacity by 75MW.
Development Groups are preparing to build four new high rise luxury apartment buildings in the northwest area of San Pedro Sula.
Private developers announced the launch, in the coming months, of the implementation of high rise construction projects, which will mean an investment of more than $42 million .
"A businessman in construction and infrastructure and advisor to the Mayor of San Pedro Sula, Ernesto Lazarus reported that the minimum investment is $8 million for the construction which is a strong investment in an average of two years during the construction."
Congress is deadlocked and essential laws to give legal certainty to investments for textile companies, among others, are being delayed.
The bill to attract investment and jobs submitted in January 2013 has not been approved, this prevents laying a foundation for an industry that can not proceed without a regulatory framework.
"One of the goals of this legislative proposal is to fulfill the commitments Guatemala has assumed with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Calleja Group has said it will invest $60 million in new supermarkets branches and a meat processing plant.
The company expects to grow by 5% in 2014, and to achieve this, it plans to invest $30 million this year and another $30 million in 2015 in the opening of eight new stores and an industrial meat processing plant.
Carlos Calleja, Vice President of the group, stated that "among the Calleja Group's projects is the construction of an industrial plant for processing meat, which will cost more than $10 million. The work will take place in Nejapa, department of San Salvador. For now it is still in the stage of obtaining permits from the authorities, but after the second semester work will begin. "
In a period of 20 years, plans are to build a port in the Caribbean, improve roads in productive sectors and organize public transport.
The International Cooperation Agency of Japan (JICA) and the Nicaraguan government have presented a study on the National Transport Plan of Nicaragua. In a period of 20 years, the plan is to build a port in the Caribbean, improve roads in the productive sectors and organize public transport, all at a cost of $8 billion.
Foreign direct investment in Panama amounted to $4 billion during 2013.
During 2013 foreign investment amounted to $4 billion, $980 million more than in 2012, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
In addition, the chief of the MEF, Frank De Lima, said: "...the volume of investment in private sector projects is estimated at $7.65 billion between 2010 and 2018."
The Altara El Tucano project has stopped paying its investors and is to execute the Guarantee Trust.
After the deadline of 30 working days provided to the settlor Altara The Tucano to provide the resources to pay obligations owed to the trust, the administrator, Scotiabank announced the execution of the guaranty for non payment.
"The trust was created to issue bonds to finance the purchase of the Hotel El Tucano, located in San Carlos , Alajuela.
Marina Vista Mar Group is to invest $6.5 million in the construction of a marina in La Ensenada de San Carlos with 150 berths.
From a statement by the Cabinet of the Government of Panama :
"The Cabinet Council has approved a Cabinet Resolution which gives a favorable ruling on holding a Concession Agreement between THE STATE, through the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) and the company MARINA VISTA MAR GROUP, S.A., which will invest 6.5 million dollars in it.
The infrastructure and road network built with funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation should be the focus of new development projects in the area.
An article in ElSalvador.com reports that Jose Angel Quiros, former executive director of Fomilenio, said "I have no information on new projects in the north, but without a doubt thought must be given to how to maximize that infrastructure and road network for the country's productive sectors ... the region's strategic programs north of the country, carried out with the first funds from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) between 2009 and 2012, must be diversified and enhanced with new works. "
The complicated Honduran political and institutional climate is creating confusion about the role of the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships.
In an article in Laprensa.hn, Jose Antonio Pineda, president commissioner of the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (Coalianza), when asked if "Coalianza, concessions, sells or privatizes?", responded that "we do not really do privatization because it involves transfer of assets or property of the State to private companies. We do not do that. Assets such as ports, roads, and airports always belong to the State. We form a public-private partnership (PPP) contract, where a private company invests capital in institutions, as these do not have capacity to invest themselves. It allows the investor to manage it for a period of time in order to be able to recover their investment. "
With significant participation by Venezuela, levels of FDI reached $1.284 billion in 2012, $182 million more than in 2011.
The main targets were industry, trade and services, energy, mining and free zones, which accounted for 77% of the total, according to data presented by the investment promotion agency ProNicaragua.
The agency also reported that in 2012 there were 349 investment projects in 37 countries, with Venezuela being the leader in this area, with 16% of the total amount injected.
The multinational plans to change the working culture by implementing a "role models and flexible schedules based on achievement of specific objectives."
Fabricio Kaplan Vice President of Human Resources at Unilever Central America, the Caribbean and Andean, explained in an interview conducted by Humberto Galo for Laprensa.com.ni that they are using in Nicaragua a new form of work already deployed in Colombia which "aims to change the work culture by implementing role models and flexible schedules based on achievement of specific objectives. "