Our special guest this month is a lawyer who has served as president of the Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE). He is a senior partner and director of the law firm Mendoza, Arias, Valle & Castillo (MAVCLEX).
Rubén Castillo is currently president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (CoNEP), as well as a business consultant in business management and labor relations. He has participated in the negotiation of numerous collective agreements, acting consistently in court in defense of the private sector, and the list is much longer.
A top guest who has given The Visitor time in his busy agenda, especially given the latest events that our country has experienced recently. In this exclusive interview we collect the feelings of this outstanding Panamanian professional about private enterprise, tourism and the national economy.
How much does private enterprise contribute to the economy of Panama and what are the challenges it has been facing in recent years?
“The private sector is the largest job generator, and also develops conditions to promote progress and development in all levels of society. Our economy has a free enterprise system that allows creating, innovating and undertaking. These are essential elements to advance as a country and that the private company is its main protagonist.“
What actions do you suggest to encourage private investment of both local and foreign capital?
“We have to generate a strong chain, where we all focus on positioning Panama as a tourist destination. It is important that local governments also understand that tourism is essential to promote employment and social development. However, it is vital that basic services work properly so that the tourist experience is the best. Tourism cannot be promoted if there are areas where garbage is not properly collected or water does not reach them.”
How can we align all sectors of the country so that there is coherence in the actions and changes that the country requires?
“First of all we must have a common roadmap. Today more than ever we must become obsessed with generating employment and also focus on human development. An essential element is education because without it we will not be able to connect with the future or make the country more competitive.”
If 80% of tourist attractions are located outside the Capital City, how can private investment reach these areas?
“We must decentralize investment in these sectors. However, to achieve this, it is also important to highlight and promote all the tourist destinations in the interior of the country to generate the desire and appetite on the part of the tourist to visit them. This will also help prevent the migration of people from the interior to Panama City and will contribute to the uniform development of the nation. Another important point is to invest in all levels of the economy of these areas to generate true tourist destinations.
In what ways is Conep helping micro and small entrepreneurs to stay in the medium and long term?
“Conep is a guild of guilds. When we have spoken of economic reactivation, we have raised the need to encourage this sector since small, micro and medium-sized companies constitute almost 90% of the business fabric. It is also clear that there is a group of entrepreneurs and innovators who will help the country to be more competitive.”
Which economic sectors have more opportunities to achieve greater growth and economic development?
“Tourism offers many opportunities as Panama has incredible history, a diverse culture and spectacular sites. However, we need to invest in promotion, if people don’t know, they won’t think about doing tourism in Panama. On the other hand, construction and logistics are interesting engines for generating employment opportunities and which complement tourism very well.”
