The 52 members of the Agricultural Producers Association of Quebrada de Oro in the Sona district of the province of Veraguas never imagined that after a year of hard work, they themselves would be amazed at the quality of the product obtained with the cultivation of the pineapple fruit that is not a traditional product in this region. Pedro Diaz, the Vice President of APAQ, said they find it incredible that they are already harvesting enough pineapple to fill the first container of this fruit which is being exported to Belgium, an aspect that is very positive for everyone. According to Diaz, thanks to financial support provided to them by the MIDA Prorural, and technical assistance provided by pineapple growers of La Chorrera, Panama, they managed to prepare the land, cultivate them, and now be present for the harvest as an example of the tenacity and effort of all those involved in this project of nontraditional plants, such as the MD2 pineapple (known in the market as honey pineapple for its sweetness and flavor).

The APAQ spokesman acknowledged that it was not easy for them to start the project because there were many doubts about whether the chosen sites met the criteria for planting the seeds, but the technicians from La Chorrera, with the experience they have in the cultivation of Zanguenga crops, established that (the lands) were excellent for obtaining quality fruit, as has been demonstrated in this first crop, one of the dozens of parcels that are in the first five hectares of pineapple planted in Quebrada de Oro. "In the field there are 52 working partners, and there are 20 people working in the fruit packing plant, all who receive an income for the livelihood of their families," explained Diaz.

The World Bank, through MIDA Prorural, contributed $221,000 to the project's inception and the APAQ also contributed $119 000, which paid for the acquisition of land, materials, labor, and other farming equipment.

In Quebrada de Oro - Meanwhile, Ronald Chanis, the owner of Frutas Exóticas del Oeste, said at the moment the cultivation of pineapple as a non-traditional crop is excellent, because the product obtained is sent to markets in Belgium and others on the European continent.

The financial support - Meanwhile, Karen Villarreal, the coordinator for the Prorural MIDA project, found that within the projections of the institution they always work with producers' associations, and in the case of Quebrada de Oro, they support them in the production of pineapple. (Mi Diario)

Editor's Comment: Excellent. So there are 52 people working in the fields and another 20 in the fruit packing plant. These are the families who own the co-op, do the work, run the business, and reap the benefits. They grow the fruit and sell it to European markets - with no or few middlemen. Excellent. This is a government project managed by the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), which provided the seed money.   

The appeal of the decision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the measure being applied to the evaluation of the business woman Berta Tuñón, who leaped into the public eye after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry denied her application to register a new Panamanian company under the name "Classy Gay Realty" because they considered the word "gay" to be immoral. Tuñón, who has been in the real estate business for six years, filed the paperwork to register the company in June 2011, and it was not until December 2011 that the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Registry of the MICI issued a resolution invoking Article 146, paragraph 2, of Law 35 of 10 May 1996, which prohibits marks containing words that are contrary to morality, public order, or good customs. Tuñón already has had another real estate company since 2003. The entrepreneur told La Critica that she has already presented her case before the Human Rights Ombudsman and subsequently she plans to bring it before the United Nations if she cannot resolve the issue with the Panamanian authorities, who did not notify her of their decision and who also made no suggestions with regards to the name of the company. She did not rule out renaming the company and starting a new registration process. "MICI's decision to dye the word "gay" as morbid was wrongheaded because it is not classified as vulgar in the dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy," said Tunon. (Critica)

Editor's Comment: Incredible. The word "gay" is about as mainstream as you can get. Anyone with deep pockets could really mess with these 18th Century throwbacks down there at the MICI if they really wanted to, by slipping 'fun' company names past them, that the censors would probably never even get. "Carpet Munching Realty," "Rooster Rug Lick Realty," you get the idea. All kidding aside, the gay and lesbian market is worth billions around the world. It's simply smart marketing to position yourself to take advantage of that spending.   

The Minister of Trade and Industry (MITI), Ricardo Quijano, who is part of the delegation accompanying the President in Davos Switzerland, where they are attending the World Economic Forum, denied on Friday that the purchasing power of the Panamanian people is going through a crisis. The minister gave the example of the sales of vehicles and properties, as well as bars and taverns that are full, the same as the shopping centers, even on Sundays. According to Quijano, now when the Panamanians walk through commercial stores, it's not just because they are window shopping, but because they came to actually buy something and spend money at the various stores.

However, he acknowledged that prices for products of high need (basic food basket) have increased, while the government tries to find a strategy to sell rice - the main component of the Panamanian diet - at a lower price.

Ricardo Quijano, Panama's Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Industry

However, despite everything, Quijano said the world sees this Central American country as a vibrant nation, because many foreign companies have made ​​multi million dollar investments here. In that sense, by phone to TVN News, the Minister suggested that the Panamanian people should be prepared for the opportunities that lie ahead. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Quijano is absolutely correct. There has been a degree of inflation in Panama, however increasing wages have more than outpaced that growth, so therefore the average person has more in their pocket to spend now than before. Add to that the expanding economy and the number of new jobs that have been created, so practically everyone who wants a job is working. The political opposition of the PRD and the Panameñistas would be utter fools to try to criticize the Martinelli administration on fundamental economic issues. Well, they will do it anyway, because they know many Panamanians don't understand the simple and basic elements of national economics, so just by screaming "rising cost of living" they will gain some supporters, even though it's not true.   

During the first half of 2012 (January-June), the subsidy on electricity bills will only apply to customers consuming up to 450 kilowatts per month. According to the Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF), Frank De Lima, in 2012 the government put into action a program of the gradual reduction of subsidies for business customers of electric energy that runs through 2016. With this program, the benefit will be reduced by 50 kilowatts every six months to eventually reach those customers who consume only 300 kilowatts, the maximum power consumption that will be subsidized.

Grants Are Unsustainable: According to the official, in 2011 the state paid $241 million dollars to subsidize electricity bills, and amount that is unsustainable due to increases in the cost of fuel. De Lima acknowledged increases in the monthly bills for customers who use more than 450 kW of electricity per month will be considerable. Pedro Acosta, president of the National Consumers Union of the Republic of Panama (Uncurepa), said that in addition to the policies of reduction in subsidies, the Government should review the concession contracts with the electricity distribution companies. According to statistics from the Public Services Authority (ASEP), currently around 696,000 customers benefit from energy subsidies up to 500 kilowatts per month. (Siglo)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - It's hard to compare the economies of the countries of Latin America side-by-side, because obviously each country is different. Some countries are much larger than others geographically speaking. For example Mexico has 1,972,550 square kilometers of land area, compared to just 78,200 square kilometers for relatively tiny Panama. Mexico has a population of more than 109 million people, compared to just 3.3 million for Panama. So how can you compare the two economies? My favorite comparison tool for this application is the measure - GDP per capita (PPP) - defined as "the value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given year divided by the average (or mid-year) population for the same year." It's useful to a certain extent because "when comparing generalized differences in living standards on the whole between nations, PPP takes into account the relative cost of living and the inflation rates of the countries, rather than using just exchange rates which may distort the real differences in income." So, it's the size of the economy divided by the population, but this measure also adds in the adjustment of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) to balance out differences in currency fluctuations. This is the one indicator I use to track how well the Panamanian economy is really doing, compared to the others of Latin America.

Panama Is Still In Fifth Place: There are only four countries in Latin America ranked higher than Panama on this scale - Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. I plotted the data from 2010 (most recent available) on a chart above. You can see how Panama's position as improved over the past eight years, and is how the gap continues to close. In this period there have been three "leaders" - first Uruguay, then Argentina, and now Chile. Most dramatically, you can see how Panama's overall position has improved dramatically since the start of the economic "boom" in 2003 or so. You can also see how the other economies were either flat or took dips during the 2008 - 2009 global economic crisis, while Panama continued to grow steadily. There is now a gap of only $2,400 between Panama (at $13,000) and Chile (at $15,400) in 2010. And while Chile's economy grew at 6% in 2011, Panama's economy grew at 9.2% during the year, so this gap shrank even more last year.

Panama Is Now Above The World Average: According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the world average for GDP per capita (PPP) in 2010 was $10,700 dollars. You can see in the graphic above - the countries shaded in blue are above that average, while the countries shaded in yellow are below. Much of Latin America is below the world average, and in Central America only Costa Rica and Panama are above. And you can easily see how most of Africa and Asia are still below the world average as well.

Before Too Long - Panama Will Lead Latin America: There seems to be no stopping Panama's economy. I've been watching these kinds of fundamental economic indicators for years, literally decades. To me it's absolutely delightful to see how Panama's economy is finally coming out of the doldrums. Panama was artificially held back due to the US ownership of the Panama Canal and 21 years of an inefficient military dictatorship (1968 - 1989). Once the Torrijos-Carter treaty of 1977 was fully implemented at 12:00 noon on 31 December 1999, Panama's economy was finally free to set sail. The horrendously corrupt government of Mireya Moscoso (1999 - 2004) basically pissed away their chance to do good things for the country, and they instead focused on stealing as much money as they could while in office. I consider this to be a sort of "spoiled brat" phase. Then the PRD administration of Martin Torrijos did a better job and things got moving. They made some very responsible moves and set the economic engine on the right track. This was sort of a "coming of age" for the Panamanian economy. Now with the hard-nosed veteran businessman Ricardo Martinelli running the show, politics and economic policy are fully merged - and the great majority of his political decisions are based on the economic fundamentals. In other words, he's doing what's good for the economy, first and foremost. Sure, the day-to-day political infighting are a factor, but over the long haul if the economy is strong and growing, then you make more jobs, and the government gets more tax revenue, and with more money you can do more things to help the poorest people in the country. That's the strategy, and it's working. Before too long Panama will take over as the #1 economy in Latin America - measured by GPD per capita (PPP). It's simply a matter of time. Barring some sort of massive natural disaster - and I mean it would take something like an earthquake that destroys Panama City or something similar - I don't see anything on the horizon that will change the fundamental path and future.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Today, Tuesday, 10 January 2012, president Ricardo Martinelli and some of his ministers met with leaders business sector at the headquarters of the National Business Council (CONEP) to discuss issues such as audits, among others that were still pending, but the agenda was open. Economy minister Frank De Lima said he was sure the issue of tax audits would be discussed in the meeting. "The economy is on the right track, we have the lowest tax rate in Latin America, and obviously more growth benefits the private sector, which means they are seeing increased profits," he said. Three days ago, both sectors met at the Presidency of the Republic, to discuss topics of economic interest. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Many of the business leaders in Panama are very worried after the headlines of last week, regarding the $3 million dollar tax bill the government handed to the founder and president of the La Prensa newspaper, Roberto Eisenmann. I suspect there was a lot of hand holding going on. Most of the businessmen in Panama are smart enough to not mix their politics with business unless absolutely necessary. Many of them donate to all of the important political candidates, just to make sure they are covering their bets. Eisenmann was allegedly playing games with his taxes, blasting the president in his newspaper La Prensa, and he mixed his business with politics in wholeheartedly supporting the Panameñista political agenda. Is there any surprise he got stomped? I suspect that's about the "executive summary" of this meeting today.   

The Department of Revenue (DGI) found the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A., owned by Ithiel Roberto Eisenmann, supposedly applied exemptions for more than $3 million dollars to business activities that were not covered by Resolution 89 of 3 December 2007, in which the former Panamanian Tourism Institute (IPAT) renewed this company's tax incentives for another 20 years. The resolution issued by the former IPAT, in favor of the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A., established in its fifth article, "the activity of the equestrian club and the craft market are not part of the activities considered to be integrated in the hotel business, so they can not obtain the tax benefits established in the standard reference." The finding caused the DGI auditors to reclassify the accounts of the company, finding a series of alleged irregularities, and an increase in taxable income. This included the failure to pay income tax on activities such as horseback riding lessons, commercial rental, among others.

The DGI also determined Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A. had included the monthly membership fees paid by the members of the Coronado Golf Club as a maintenance fee, and they also (improperly) applied a tax exemption (to these dues the company collected). The institution determined this activity also is not typical of the hotel business to qualify for the tax incentives established by Law 8 of tourism that dates from June 14, 1994.

Based on the alleged deficiencies in the statements of income tax (filed by the company) between 2008 and 2010, the DGI issued a resolution stating taxes due in the amount of about $2 million dollars against the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A..

In another issue, the DGI determined that Eisenmann's company also deducted the ITBMS tax from operations in their real estate business that should have been taxed. After that, the DGI calculated that the difference in the ITBMS tax in favor of the treasury was about $900,000 dollars, an amount it added to the charges, according to official sources.

Eisenmann, the founder and president of the newspaper La Prensa, has remained on the argument that all of this is a prosecution against him for being a critic of the government of Ricardo Martinelli. The businessman used the newspaper La Prensa to announce that he would appeal both of the decisions for back taxes due issued by the DGI, while criticizing the amount claimed. However, he acknowledged several shortcomings in the use of exemptions from the law of tourism such as transferring the incentive to his creditors. Even he said the real figure for this difference would not be more than $100,000 dollars. He also said he was willing to take the revenue accounts of golf club membership and pay the proportional tax, but he said the DGI refused. DGI sources said 15 days before the resolutions were issued, Eisenmann paid about $500,000 dollars in back taxes and transfers he had withheld which had not been deposited to the treasury. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: There it is again. The emphasis that Eisenmann had violated the terms of the resolution issued by the IPAT in 2007. I bet the government is planning to yank all tax incentives from the Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A., as a result of these findings. They will wait until the whole dispute has run its course in the courts, and once they have the judicial decisions in the case file, then they will pull the plug. Wait, watch, and you'll see. I bet it happens, eventually.   

The businessman and founding director of the newspaper La Prensa, Ithiel Roberto Eisenmann, launched serious questions yesterday against the Direction of General Revenue (DGI), after the institution notified him of a fine of more than $3 million dollars for alleged tax evasion between 2008 and 2010. The DGI, after having conducted an audit that took more than seven months, notified Eisenmann yesterday of two resolutions against the company he owns, Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A., which establish an alleged tax evasion of $2,083,000 dollars and $992,765 in taxes for the transfer of tangible personal property (real estate) and the payment of the taxes for the provision of service (ITBMS). All cases registered in the tax audit conducted by the DGI are linked to the irregular management of the incentives provided for in Law 8 of 1994, which promotes tourism.

Eisenmann's company did not pay part of their taxes from the sale of lots (of land) and would have transferred some of the tax incentives from the hotel to other activities that are not included in the benefits outlined in the law, among other abnormalities, according to the DGI. In 2007, the Minister of Tourism at the time, Ruben Blades, renewed for an additional 20 years the tourism incentives for Eisenmann's company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A., but it was specified in the resolution that the arts and crafts center and the horse stables were not part of the activities that would benefit (from the tax incentives.) The resolution also contained a warning that if irregularities were detected then the benefits would be suspended. (See Editor's Comment)

Yesterday Eisenmann used the newspaper La Prensa to devalue the outcome of the DGI audit, saying it was all just a political attack because he has been critical of the government of Ricardo Martinelli. The businessman also said he would appeal to the two DGI resolutions to all instances allowed by law. However, Eisenmann recognized some flaws in the tax management of the company, but said the possible figure of taxes he might have to pay would never exceed $100,000 dollars. Fifteen days ago the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A. voluntarily went to the DGI to pay $500,000 dollars in back taxes owed. This figure has already been registered in the balance of the audit, but the remaining taxes to be paid was more than $3 million dollars, officials reported yesterday.

Yesterday Eisenmann released some of the details of the DGI tax bill. According to the audit, the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A. applied the tourism tax to their suppliers when they should have applied the ITBMS tax. Eisenmann acknowledged yesterday in La Prensa, after the DGI warned him, that his company made the mistake of not charging the ITBMS to their suppliers, but he said the institution did not allow him to calculate the account in order to pay the corresponding tax owed. "They told us: we are not permit you to make those calculations, we are going to apply a proportionality. And to that proportionality they added all of the income of Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A. for the sale of lots (real estate) that don't have anything to do with the ITBMS, and therefore this produced a thing that should have been less than $100,000 dollars, and it gave them a half a million," said Eisenmann himself.

The other case reported in the DGI audit is for the collection of membership fees from the members of the golf club in Coronado, where there was no evidence of the payment of a tax for net earnings, because they tried to disguise it as maintenance fees. Eisenmann said he asked for operating costs to be subtracted from the amount of money collected as membership fees, but he said the DGI refused.

Another of the anomalies found by the DGI focuses on the payments of the 2% tax for the transfer of properties made by the Desarrollo Golf Coronado S.A. did not add up - according to the DGI - with those reported in the Public Registry. Eisenmann said yesterday the difference was created because the 2% property transfer tax is not paid until the client signs the deed and then it is sent to the Public Registry.

The businessman insisted he will appeal the DGI tax bill for more than $3 million dollars to all instances allowed by law. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Did you catch it? The most important element of this article. When the Minister of Tourism renewed Eisenmann's tourism status under Law 8 of 1994, "the resolution also contained a warning that if irregularities were detected then the benefits would be suspended." How many letters are there in "yank"? I bet the administration of Ricardo Martinelli is now going to simply wait until this whole thing works its way through the system, and once it's confirmed and well documented that Eisenmann did in fact improperly take advantage of the tax incentives for tourism, then the new Minister of Tourism Solomon Shamah will issue a new resolution that will remove those tax benefits - forever. I think this bowling ball is going to drop on Eisenmann's head once, twice, maybe three times. Today Eisenmann threatened that he was going to keep firing darts at Martinelli, despite of the DGI audit and taxes. I think this line was a not so subtle reminder that Martinelli's quiver isn't quite empty either. Sort of like "an audit a day keeps the editorials away."    

Two weeks after finishing the tax audit, the Department of Revenue (DGI) reported yesterday they have levied a fine of more than $3 million dollars against the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado, S.A., owned by the Eisenmann family. I. Roberto Eisenmann, the legal representative of the company and founder of the newspaper La Prensa, said he was notified by the DGI one day after the director of that entity, Luis Cucalón, said in the Panama America newspaper that no official figure had yet been established. According to Eisenmann, on 22 December 2011 DGI officials informed him that the audit had been finished, started eight months earlier after he gave an interview to journalist Alvaro Alvarado in which he criticized the president, Ricardo Martinelli.

When he was told the audit had been completed Eisenmann asked how much he could expect to pay and the officers responded it would be $1.5 million dollars. "Now the figure is doubled because I reacted. They were preparing the way so that today (yesterday) it would be $3 [million]," said Eisenmann. Interestingly, on 28 December, the Minister of the Presidency, Jimmy Papadimitriu, told TVN that the DGI report indicated that Eisenmann's company owed somewhere between $2 million and $3 million dollars. The businessman reiterated it is clear the audit has been political, after the harsh criticism he has made against the government of Ricardo Martinelli. "Contrary to what they imagine, now I will speak more," he said.

The company's legal team, composed of seven lawyers, will present the petitions for reconsideration before the DGI, and if those petitions are refused, the say they will present an appeal before the Administrative Tax Tribunal. "I've been through these things before and am used to these battles and struggles. And I will fight with more strength and conviction," said Eisenmann. In his criticism, Eisenmann has described Martinelli as a "destroyer of institutions." "He is bossy. As a good autocrat businessman, for him everything is a transaction, and in this way he buys things, businesses and Deputies (in the National Assembly)," he said.

Yesterday president Ricardo Martinelli met with business leaders from the private sector in the presidency, but after the meeting he made no comment. Through a press release he said "the government must enforce the laws on the payment of taxes." The person who did speak to the press was the presidential spokesman Luis Eduardo Camacho, who said the audit (of Eisenmann's business) is not a political persecution.

This newspaper (La Prensa - owned by Eisenmann) asked the director of the DGI to explain what taxes the company Desarrollo Golf Coronado failed to pay, but his response was: "We will gladly answer, but I am not accustomed to deal with cases in the press, the law forbids it, so I hope you will understand."

Businessmen asked Martinelli not to generalize - Representatives of business groups yesterday asked president, Ricardo Martinelli, during a meeting at the Palace of the Herons, to not make generalizations by calling them "empresaurios" (business dinosaurs) and "thieves" for allegedly not paying taxes. Anthony Fletcher, president of the National Business Council (Conep), said at the meeting, which he called "frank," the clarified with the president every point of his speech given before the National Assembly. "It is incorrect to say we are breaking the rules, particularly on the issue of taxes," he said. Martinelli, through a press release said there were no generalizations in his speech, and that he was specific in his approach. (La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: I think there are elements of truth on both sides of the equation in this case. First of all, there's no doubt that Eisenmann's business was targeted for political reasons because he is an outspoken critic of the Martinelli administration. He's a staunch supporter of Juan Carlos Varela and the political agenda of the Panameñista political party. He's also the founder of the La Prensa newspaper so therefore he has a voice and a platform from which to launch attacks and control the message. So, it simply makes sense that he was targeted for political reasons. Now, consider this. What if Eisenmann actually does owe back taxes. Martinelli's argument is that previous presidents have taken a "hands off" approach to making Eisenmann pay his fair share of taxes out of concern over what types of headlines will appear on the cover of the La Prensa newspaper every morning. Martinelli said "they're furious" because he's making them pay. In short Martinelli is also saying "I could care less, write whatever you want." And why not, because Eisenmann and La Prensa is already doing as much damage as they can anyway, so what does Martinelli have to lose? (Nothing).

Stop Whining - And Explain It In Court: And the whole thing with Eisenmann talking about how first it was $1.5 million and now it's $3 million or whatever - I would suggest that the average man on the street would simply want to see a clear and concise and fair and objective analysis of the books, and the taxes should be paid as required according to law. The Director of the DGI Luis Cucalón can't pull a number out of a hat or arbitrarily double or triple the taxes just because he feels like it - the amount of tax owed is established by law. All of these issues will eventually be discussed and decided in a court of law.

It's Both Political And Just: Anyway, in the end of the day - I think it's political, and I also think Eisenmann simply got caught. Pretty simple, on both sides. The rest is details. And when Eisenmann takes it to court he can expect to lose, because the decision will eventually wind up with the "Team Martinelli" Supreme Court. Case closed. There's an expression in Panamanian Spanish that roughly translates to "you wanted to be Carnival Queen - so shut up and wave." Meaning, Eisenmann decided to mix business and politics, so now his apparently questionable business practices are caught up in politics. And he's acting surprised and hurt? Why, when he's the one who decided to mix the two. Sorry, but on the street about 90%+ of the Panamanian people I've asked generally side with Martinelli and against Eisenmann in this case. The most common response is "it might be political, but he should have been paying if he owes the taxes..." And even more important, Martinelli wins politically because he's seen as not being afraid to go after the "rich fat cats" in Panama - who have traditionally been untouchable. Remember, on the bus there's only one bus owner but about 50 passengers. The bus driver might have the money, but the passengers vote. Martinelli has his eye on the political prize. In the 2014 elections the Panameñistas and Juan Carlos Varela will come in third place. That's the most important, very simple fact that matters most to Martinelli. Anyway, that's my analysis of this whole mess, for what it's worth. Let's see how this whole thing plays out in the courts (and in the headlines) as it moves through the system.   

Contracts worth more than $31 million dollars were signed as a result of Panama's participation in 19 international fairs during 2011, said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. During 2012 Panama is scheduled to participate in 21 international exhibitions in Europe, America, Asia, Canada, South America and the Caribbean. The presentations are focused on the agricultural sectors, agribusiness, artisan and industrial, and logistics. Data from the MICI indicates in 2011 the government spent $547,000 to participate in these international fairs. In 2011 exports increased to $660 million dollars, or $33.6 million more than in 2010 when there was $626 million dollars in exports.

Participation in these international fairs is coordinated between the MICI and the private sector, assessing the effectiveness of closing business deals at the fairs, allowing for new markets to be opened, said Jose Pacheco, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade. The exporters are given support with logistics, among these, the location of the exhibition spaces at international events, he said. This year they will be participating in fairs for the sectors of fishing, logistics, crafts, specialty coffee, as well as seafood, Pacheco said.

Richard Barnett, the Director General of Export Promotion of the MICI said these kinds of fairs are positive. One example given was Fruitlogistica, which occurred in Germany, during which contracts were signed for the exportation of pineapples and melons, and an alliance was formed between the German company Don Limón and the irrigation systems of Remigio Rojas, in Alanje, Chiriquí. (Siglo)