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Business News
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Sunday, 04 July 2010 19:25 |
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PUERTO ARMUELLES
Baru Free Trade Zone ( Zona Franca de Baru) and Container port: Now more likely.
By David Dell
I recently visited the offices of the proposed BARU FREE TRADE ZONE (Zona Franca de Baru) in Puerto Armuelles. The offices, staffed by 15 people have been here since 2001. The secretary showed me a scale model of the proposed development and told me this would be a $100 million dollar project when finished. The plan is for 217 storage facilities, a deepwater container and future cruise ship port, and a marina. This will be part of a much more comprehensive plan that includes a “dry canal” connecting Puerto Armuelles by a four-lane highway to Chiriqui Grande on the Caribbean side of Panama.
 In October 2006, 78% of the electorate voted in favor of spending $5 billion-plus on enlarging the Canal. The first and obvious question is, is this necessary? If so, then why would we need an additional “dry canal?’
Some opponents of the Canal widening point out that when the new and improved canal opens in 2014, it will already be out-of-date and too small.
A few facts about the new Canal: The term they use for this is “post-Panamax” or “over-Panamax.” Panamax describes the size of the largest existing vessels that can transit the Canal. The existing Canal is 110 feet wide by 1,050 feet long. The new, larger Canal will be 180 feet wide and 1,400 feet long. The problem is that now they are building a new range of cargo vessels called Super-Post-Panamax and they will be too big even for the enlarged Canal. Case in point is one of the world’s leading cargo ship companies, Maersk. In 2008 they launched the eighth of their new fleet of ships, “The Eugen Maersk,” which is 184 feet wide. Some industry estimates calculate that up to 25% of the world’s cargo fleet may soon be Super-Post-Panamax.
The existing Canal has three extra problems. First, the clearance under the Bridge of the America’s at high tide is just 201 feet. As ships get longer and wider they also get higher. The second problem is the 41.2 feet depth of the south sill at the Pedro Miguel locks. The third problem is the Culebra or Gaillard Cut. This has been a pain in the rear to Canal builders since French times. This 9-mile cut is too narrow for two ships to pass safely, side by side. So, this age-old congestion problem will probably plague the Canal for another hundred years.
In light of all this, the free trade zone and container port at Puerto Armuelles starts to make sense. It can take Post- and Super-Post-Panamax ships. There are no bridges to pass under or narrow cuts to navigate. It is one of the few places on the coast of Panama where deep navigable waters are close to shore. The extra plans to build a $5 million dollar commercial airport at Manaca, as well as a $17 million dollar industrial park, can only improve the viability of the project.
The government has awarded contracts to construct four-lane highways between Puerto Armuelles and from David to Boquete. The final leg from Boquete to Chiriqui Grande can’t be too far away and then Panama’s second canal (a dry one this time) will be a physical reality.
The Baru Free Trade Zone is an initiative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The office staff state that they already have investors from Spain, Venezuela and Taiwan.
When will the Baru Free Trade Zone project start? Investors are still needed to fund the project, but the air of optimism in Puerto Armuelles is palpable. |
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Last Updated on Monday, 05 July 2010 13:25 |
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Monday, 31 May 2010 17:03 |
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A Perfect Marriage of Old and New
by E. Worley
 On my first visit to Boquete in 2002, I was lucky enough to stay at the Panamonte Inn. The rooms were quaint, with old-fashioned bathtubs, eccentric plumbing, and creaky floors. The dining room was elegant, relaxing, and the food delicious. I was enchanted with the charm of this old European style country inn.
So, it was with trepidation that I watched over the past couple of years the renovation of the old rooms, the bustling construction of a new wing, and the general facelift of the interior. Please, oh please, I thought, do not let them ruin this gracious old hotel in the name of “new” “modern” and “updated.”
I needn’t have worried.
On a recent evening, the Panamonte opened its doors and gardens and invited the public to experience the enhanced charms and elegance of the ‘new-old” Panamonte. Under the careful architectural direction of Letfallah Nader and the exquisite design eye of Charlie Collins, the Panamonte has added new garden terrace rooms, junior suites, and expanded garden areas. And, they have done so with such precise attention to detail that the blending of old and new is virtually seamless.
The new rooms are spacious and luxuriously appointed and each opens onto a private terrace overlooking the beautiful gardens. The renovated ‘old’ rooms are cozy and comfortable.
 The gala event featured a structured tour that took one first through the lovely old lobby and down a covered walkway to the new wing, with stops along the way for ceviche, sushi, flutes of champagne and kir, and the smiles of Inga Collins, Charlie Collins, and the new general manager, Sandra Naranjo. A full Panamanian buffet was set up to serve the guests, who gathered in the lounge and in the garden, which glowed with soft, fairy lighting. In the old-new dining room, a lavish table of desserts—all personally prepared by Chef Charlie himself—wowed everyone. Music played, wine flowed, people mingled. Once again, as it has since its opening in 1914, the hospitality of the Panamonte was warm, personal, and…well, perfect.
Kudos to all who have had a hand or eye in this ambitious project. It is with excellent reason that the Panamonte was recently added to the prestigious list of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 June 2010 16:16 |
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Monday, 31 May 2010 16:59 |
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Crean frente común y Reclaman al Estado infraestructuras públicas
Teófilo Aurelio González Hernández
Empresarios chiricanos crearon el Frente Pro Desarrollo Provincial para impulsar el turismo, el sector agropecuario y la logística requerida para la ejecución exitosa de proyectos que permitan la superación de la economía y mejoren la calidad de vida de la población de esta región.
 El Presidente de la Cámara de Comercio, Industrias y Agricultura de Chiriquí (CAMCHI), Manuel Reyes Sicilia advirtió que el sector agropecuario -principal componente de la economía del interior del país- padece serios problemas estructurales que de no ser corregidos podrían colapsar la estructura socioeconómica nacional.
“Creo que es muy bueno el desarrollo de grandes proyectos en la ciudad de Panamá, pero el gobierno de turno debe adoptar una visión integral del país, para que no existan dos y tres Panamá: la ciudad capital, el interior del país y la zonas indígenas”, manifestó Reyes Sicilia.
El ex presidente de la Asociación Panameña de Ejecutivos de Empresa (APEDE), Camilo Brenes reconoció el fracaso de varias iniciativas similares en Chiriquí, lo que atribuyó a que demasiados temas y propuestas.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 June 2010 16:10 |
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Tuesday, 27 April 2010 06:57 |
 Reabre sus puertas el Hotel Ladera
Por Marielisa Serracin P.
A mediados del año 2008 abrió sus puertas en Boquete, por primera vez, el Hotel Ladera. Pese a ser el más nuevo de todo el distrito, rápidamente se ubicó en un lugar preferencial entre los visitantes panameños y extranjeros por las facilidades que brindaba a sus clientes. No obstante, para el 22 noviembre de ese año las fuertes lluvias que provocaron inundaciones en varios puntos del distrito afectaron severamente a este hotel, tanto en sus estructuras como en mobiliario.
 El propietario del hotel, David Carballeda expresa que pasado el siniestro la afectación en la estructura del hotel era visible, “no podíamos dejar unas ruinas de ese tamaño en pie. Cierto, había una parte dañada mas la mayor parte se encontraba intacta. Esto me hizo tomar la determinación de reconstruir la edificación”.
Pasado un año y 4 meses de arduo e intenso trabajo, se observaron los frutos del esfuerzo con la reapertura, en marzo pasado, de uno de los hoteles donde la moderna arquitectura, la decoración de sus ambientes, su colorido y natural entorno, la calidez y esmerada atención de su personal y; por supuesto, la deliciosa cocina se conjugan para dar a sus huéspedes, un lugar para disfrutar de la mejor estadía en Chiriquí.
Carballeda no habla de cifras exactas, pero asegura que la inversión ha sido cuantiosa, y que se logró el aporte de la empresa privada y de toda su familia, que creyeron en ese sueño.
Un hotel de la nueva era
Un proyecto en dos etapas, cuyo diseñó estuvo a cargo del arquitecto Luis Alberto Carballeda, quien se encargó de dar una línea arquitectónica limpia e interesante; mientras que las 20 habitaciones que posee el hotel fueron redecoradas con exquisito gusto por Teresa Pretelt de Hincapié.
La cocina de su restaurante es de primera clase. El Chef francés Christopher Giroud elabora las delicias culinarias para el paladar más exigente, cuidando cada uno de los detalles en el proceso de preparación. También puede disfrutar del ambiente cálido y moderno del bar and lounge.
Este edificio se extiende como una pieza del paisaje: hay una clara relación entre la topografía y la línea en movimiento del Rio Caldera. El hotel está configurado como un itinerario para que el huésped camine por una serie patios, jardines y segmentos del paisaje de la misma manera que el transeúnte que pasa a diario para ir de su casa al trabajo y vice versa, resalta su propietario. Señala, además, “de esta manera pretendemos fundir los dos recorridos en la entrada de manera sorpresiva: un encuentro casual y luego intermitentemente empiezan a desaparecer hasta no verse más.”
Su aspecto está marcado específicamente en uso de los materiales y su procedencia, haciendo recordar a los pequeños edificios de montaña. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 May 2010 08:50 |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 29 March 2010 13:02 |
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by Staff
Those of you who frequent boquete.org have seen a lot of changes lately. Here's what's going on.
We now have two separate domains - boquete.org and boqueteforums.org. They are tightly connected, but each can be reached directly by its own URL. The new boquete.org website is much more than just static pages. It has a poll, which will
feature a new question each month (If you have suggestions for the poll question of the month please let us know), a new calendar (more on this later), and a donation button.
Yes, it's time to think about donating to boquete.org. It takes money to keep the service going. It's been supported by donations from only two people up until now and we think it's proved a valuable enough resource for the community that others should chip in too. It is not a very big budget - you can see our expenses on the "About Boquete.org" page (bottom of the Resources menu). So we are asking all the active users to contribute $5-$10 to keep this service going. Just click on the DONATE button.
During the past year we have also added a wiki to the site. Most of the information that is under the Government, Community Services, Religious-Spiritual, Helpful Links and Media links has now been transferred to the wiki. We are in the process of adding more info (Judy Sacco has given us permission to use the contents of the book published by the TMINM a few years back), but the beauty of a wiki is that anyone can add or edit it. If you have important information feel free to add it to the wiki. There is a tutorial on the wiki itself about how to do this.
However, we feel the need for some help and direction here so we are looking for a volunteer to take the position of WikiMaster/Mistress. The job is mainly about keeping the wiki up to date and adding valuable information when it appears. We'll train you on the wiki if you're not familiar with it. If you're interested email:
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There's a new calendar on the boquete.org website, which is different from the calendar on the boqueteforums.org website. The new calendar is in test mode now. It is a more powerful and flexible calendar system than the one in the forums, so we're evaluating it to see if we should replace the forums calendar with this new one. The test will take a few months. During this time, you are welcome to post your events on both calendars. Note that anyone can post an event on the new calendar, but only registered users can edit or delete events. You can register as a new calendar user by using the form at the bottom left of the full calendar page.
We have upgraded to a new version of the forum software. This version is much more secure than the old version, but the interface has been rearranged a bit. Sorry for the disorientation this has caused. We also lost our old "skin" in the process of upgrading, but we will be fixing that in the near future. We are also working on upgrading the business directory. The current process for adding and editing entries to the directory is cumbersome and difficult. We're working on a database driven system where each business will be able to place and update its own entry. Hopefully this will be in place within a few months.
We hope all these changes will improve your experience with boquete.org. If you have comments or suggestions please let us know at
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Last Updated on Sunday, 11 April 2010 22:44 |
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