Investment in more sophisticated equipment, preparing human capital for knowledge generation and coordinated decision making between government and business, are some of the areas that Panama has to work on in order to continue competing globally.
The country depends largely on the economic activities of the logistics sector, as it contributes about 33% of the Gross Domestic Product. However, the intense competition at a global level has forced Panama to face multiple challenges.
The initiatives of Competition, Leasing and the reforms to the General Law of Telecoms are some of the projects that the new administration of Giammattei plans to present to the Congress of Guatemala.
During his inaugural speech, the new president of Guatemala gave the first guidelines in the economic field, highlighting which projects should be streamlined in the Legislative.
In El Salvador, there is a demand that the updating of the Law on Public Administration Procurement and Contracting that the deputies seek to make be carried out without neglecting the principles of competition and transparency.
After the Executive submitted the amendments to the draft reform of the Public Administration Procurement and Contracting Law (LACAP) to the Legislative in 2019, a sub-committee of the Assembly is examining the proposals.
The launch in the local market of 10 different products of roasted and ground coffee and in capsules of the Starbucks brand, reflects the increase of competition in the segment of premium coffees, which already represents about 4% of total consumption in the country.
The products that will be marketed initially in the chains of Walmart and Másxmenos supermarkets, are distributed by Nestlé, which bought the retail distribution of these Starbucks products globally.
Although Grupo Aval S.A. de Colombia owns both financial entities, the conglomerate has decided that the two banks will compete separately in the Panamanian market.
Along with the possibility of investing $350 million in the construction of new facilities in the Puerto Caldera, in Costa Rica, comes the promise of more competitive maritime service rates.
The interest in developing the terminal expansion project has been expressed by SPC, the current concessionaire of the Costa Rican Pacific maritime terminal, and by DP World, the UAE state port company, companies that would invest in the construction of 800 meters of berthing area at a depth of 16 meters.
The sanction was imposed following a complaint made "by TVC Network, S.A. de C.V., against Digicel, S.A. de C.V., for a possible abusive dominant position."
The complainant stated that this economic agent was creating barriers to the entry of competitors or the expansion of existing ones in the market for the termination of national and international calls, informed the authorities of the country.
In April, Ultracem Guatemala, a Colombian company dedicated to the import and distribution of finished cement packed in sacks, began operating.
Executives of the company explained that for the start-up of the company in the country have invested about $1.2 million, and that the warehouses for storage and packaging are located in Puerto Barrios, Izabal.
In Panama, in the last three decades the business has been growing, which is reflected in the considerable increase in franchises, which compete for a share of the market.
The first international franchises to reach the country were Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Then others were established such as Tamburelli Pizza & Pasta, Athen´s Pizza, Ciao Bella Pizza, Pizzería Italiana and Napoles.
The lack of a competition law in Guatemala could expose the country to sanctions from the European authorities, since it is a requirement demanded in the regulations of the Association Agreement with the European Union.
Since the end of 2016, the Association Agreement (AdA) required Guatemala to have a law on the matter, since in 2019 a Central American competition authority would have to be created. However, it cannot operate, because there is no legal framework.
In Guatemala, the Dunkin chain opened a new sales point at kilometer 14.5 of Carretera a El Salvador and plans to open five new stores in 2020.
Representatives of Grupo INTUR, the company that owns the franchise, reported that the new store has a self-service and outdoor terrace, and that with the opening of this local add 20 sales points in the country.
Although in the cosmetic surgery business the Costa Rican market maintains its attractiveness for foreign clients, in other countries procedures of similar quality are offered, but at lower prices.
Some of the main competitors include Mexico, India, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic, but Costa Rica's main difficulty in competing with these markets is its high operating cost.
American Drugstore and C. Imberton were sanctioned for proving "that they engaged in the anti-competitive practice of agreeing to fix the prices of Cataflam, Diovan and Lamisil products."
The Superintendence of Competition of El Salvador (SC) sanctioned American Drugstore, for $171,000, and C.
Because the Constitutional Chamber in Costa Rica admitted an action challenging the articles regulating mergers and acquisitions, the file approval processes have been temporarily suspended.
Authorities informed that since last March 19, the Commission to Promote Competition (Coprocom) refrains from approving or failing processes of companies that seek to acquire others or merge in the country.
Holcim S.A. in El Salvador was sanctioned for "having failed in its duty of collaboration to provide the information and documentation required to the Superintendence of Competition."
From the Superintendence of Competition statement:
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