FTA with South Korea Soon to Take EffectFriday, February 26, 2021 As of March 1st, the Free Trade Agreement signed between the Republic of South Korea and Central American countries will become effective. After several years of negotiations, the trade agreement between the countries of the region and the Asian nation will finally come into force next Monday. Panama: $350 Million for Digital TransformationThursday, March 4, 2021 The Development Bank of Latin America approved a line of credit that the government will use to finance the Program to Support the Digital Transformation and Inclusion Strategy. The Program is aimed at recognizing actions in the development of the framework of public policies and investments for the closing of the digital gap and the digitalization of the public and private sectors, specifically with the production and implementation of standards, plans, internal agreements and investments, informed the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). Organic Agriculture and Barriers to DevelopmentThursday, March 4, 2021 The lack of incentives, the disorder to apply the legislation and the complexity of producing in areas that are surrounded by traditional crops, are some of the factors that hinder the development of organic agriculture in Costa Rica. In the last decade, the area planted to organic agriculture has fallen. Data from the program of Accreditation and Registration in Agriculture (ARAO) specify that in 2010 the area amounted to 11,115 hectares and in 2019 fell to 8,832 hectares, equivalent to a decrease of 21%. Costa Rica: IMF Endorses $1.778 Billion LoanTuesday, March 2, 2021 The financial resources that the IMF will lend to the Costa Rican government will be used to mitigate the fiscal crisis, strengthen monetary and financial stability, and boost economic recovery in the context of the pandemic crisis. On March 1, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Costa Rica's request for an IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Bill to Reactivate Labor ContractsWednesday, February 10, 2021 In Panama, a legislative project was submitted which intends to gradually reintegrate the employees to their companies, which have already restarted their activities and which in 2020 suspended labor contracts due to the crisis caused by the outbreak of covid-19. According to the legislative body, the bill which legalizes the gradual reintegration of the suspended contract workers to their companies and which will be in force until the end of the year, has been pending in the National Assembly since February 8, after the Minister of Labor, Doris Zapata, delivered it to the Presidency. Labor Market: Bill Receives EndorsementThursday, February 25, 2021 On third debate, Panama approved the legislative bill that aims at gradually reintegrating employees to their companies, which have already restarted their activities and which in 2020 suspended labor contracts due to the crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak. The National Assembly approved on February 24 bill No.542, submitted by the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel), which allows the gradual reinstatement of workers with suspended contracts, recognizes the payment of maternity leaves to workers with suspended contracts, the return of disabled people and establishes temporary measures to preserve employment and stability of the companies, details an official statement. Labor Market: Bill Moves ForwardFriday, February 12, 2021 In Panama, the first debate was approved in the first debate of the legislative project that intends to gradually reintegrate the employees to their companies, the same that have already restarted their activities and that in 2020 suspended labor contracts due to the crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak. The bill legalizing the gradual reintegration of suspended contract workers to their companies, which will be in force until the end of the year, has been pending in the National Assembly since February 8, after being submitted to the Presidency by the Minister of Labor, Doris Zapata. Honduras Approves FTA with PeruWednesday, September 23, 2015 The trade agreement, which began in 2010, regulates, among other things, issues related to market access, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation. From a statement issued by the National Congress of Honduras: Honduras seeks trade agreement with Brazil, Peru, and EcuadorTuesday, October 28, 2008 The Government of Honduras is studying "what type of accord" they can offer Brazil; they have proposed a FTA with Peru and a Partial Reach Agreement with Ecuador. Honduran vice-minister of Foreign Trade, Jaime Turcios, suggested that the agreement with Brazil could be made within the wider context of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Panama and Israel Extend Cooperation AgreementThursday, February 10, 2011 The signed amendment will allow a wider participation of governments in different projects. That Agreement was signed aiming at defining a set of basic principles on which to establish a framework to facilitate trade between the two countries on various trade policies like promotion of goods and services, logistics and marketing, international trade integration, among others. India and Panama Move for Closer Trade RelationWednesday, September 7, 2011 A delegation from the Indian government has praised the Panamanian economy and expressed an interest in establishing a dialogue in order to strengthen trade ties between both countries. A press release from the ministry of Economy and Finance in Panama states: Reduced Working Hours: Extension until March 2021Friday, December 11, 2020 The bill that extends until March 2021 the validity of the regulations that allow companies to reduce working hours was approved in the first debate. In March 2020, when the first cases of covid-19 were registered, the "Law Authorizing the Reduction of Working Days following the Declaration of National Emergency" was approved. The validity of this regulation expires in December of this year, but a legislative project was approved in the first debate that seeks to extend the validity of the regulation until March 2021. Flying Locust: Phytosanitary Emergency DeclaredTuesday, February 9, 2021 As a result of a resurgence of the flying locust plague that has been reported in recent weeks, Guatemala has decided to declare a State of Phytosanitary Emergency. There has been a new outbreak of the flying locust plague identified under the scientific name "Shistocerca piceifrons (Walker)" directly affecting the department of Peten, so a State of Emergency is issued, explains one of the recitals of the Ministerial Agreement 18-2021, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Maga). Panama - Israel FTA ProgressesMonday, September 2, 2019 The Panamanian Executive approved to submit to the National Assembly the Bill that approves the Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Panama and the State of Israel. The FTA between Panama and Israel was signed on May 17, 2018; and among the advantages and incentives offered by the canal isthmus is the unique connectivity and the strong offer of logistics services, useful for Israeli companies as a platform for expanding their presence in Latin America, informed the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI). FTA between Panama and ChinaMonday, April 2, 2018 Panamanian businessmen are asking the government to be part of the process of preparing and negotiating a trade agreement with the Asian nation. From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture: |
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