Although Panamanian businessmen recognize that in the first months of the Cortizo administration there have been advances that could improve the performance of the local economy, it is predicted that the reactivation could take longer than expected.
Activities of the canal and air and financial services accounted for most of the 5.4% growth recorded in GDP over the past year.
The Comptroller General of the Republic reported that the increase reported in 2017 "... is explained primarily by the behavior of economic activities related to the external sector. Among them, those of the Panama Canal, air and financial services stand out positively.On the other hand, trade in the Colon Free Zone, showed a decrease."
The Central Bank has reported that in the third quarter of the year the Gross Domestic Product registered an interannual increase of 6.5%, mainly explained by the manufacturing industry and the agricultural sector.
From the quarterly report by the Central Bank:
DURING THE III QUARTER OF 2017 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY CONTINUED REGISTERING DYNAMISM HAVING GROWN 2.0%
Transportation, storage and communications, construction and mining activities accounted for most of the 5.8% growth in GDP during the first half of the year.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance:
Economy and Finance Minister Dulcidio De La Guardia was optimistic about the economy's results during the first half of 2017, which point to a growth of 5.8% in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Trade was the sector that contributed the most to GDP growth in the first quarter of the year, due to an increase in the value of re-exports from the Colon Free Zone.
From a statement issued by the Comptroller General of Panama:
The GDP of the Republic of Panama grew by 6.2% during the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest report from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
The Bank of Guatemala has left the monetary policy rate unchanged, citing uncertainty and weakness in the international context, and expects growth of 4.9% in GDP in 2017.
In the domestic environment the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat) stressed that economic activity continues to record behavior consistent with the target range for 2016 (between 3.1% and 3.7%), which is reflected in the evolution of severaleconomic activity indicators (Monthly Index of economic activity, bank credit to the private sector in domestic currency, volume of imports and remittances, among other things).
Nicaragua's economy recorded growth of 6.6% in the last quarter of 2015 and an average annual growth of 4.9%.
From a report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua:
In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Nicaraguan economy recorded growth of 6.6% and an average annual growth of 4.9% in the original data, according to the preliminary estimate of quarterly GDP (PIBT by its initials in Spanish).
Guatemala´s handling of a serious political crisis through legal means and confidence in the incoming government has allowed it to close 2015 with stable growth of 4.1%.
The Bank of Guatemala reports that "... Economic activity continues to perform in a manner consistent with the range of annual economic growth forecast for 2015, which is reflected, among other indicators, in the evolution of the IMAE, remittances and bank loans to the private sector. Although inflation continues to be influenced by the fall in international prices of oil and its derivatives, to the extent that this effect fades, inflation will start to converge to the central value of the target. "
In the first three months of the year, economic activity increased by 5.9% compared to the same period in 2014, with the construction sector leading with a growth rate of 8%.
From a statement issued by the General Comptroller of the Republic:
The performance of the Panamanian economy in the first quarter of 2015, measured by Quarterly Gross Domestic Product (initials in Spanish: PIBT), showed an increase of 5.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
Mining and quarrying reported a growth of 47.5%, financial intermediation and insurance 7.8%, supplies of electricity and water 5.2% and construction 4.6%.
According to a report by the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat), economic performance in the last three months of 2014 was 4.4%, while the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.2% at the end of that year, being the same level reported in 2011.
In 2014 the performance of most economic indicators was worse than that of 2013, with continued deterioration in public finances.
From a statement by the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES):
In 2014 the performance of most economic indicators was lower than that of 2013, when growth was 1.7%; public finances continue to deteriorate, with a balance of the NFPS debt being 60.3% of GDP at the end of 2014.
Construction, mining and financial sectors drove growth in the Gross Domestic Product in the first six months of the year.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Panama:
Growth projection for the closure of the 2014 is held in 7%, leading the region.
Panama's economy grew by 6.2%, in the first six months of 2014, to be located the Gross