NewsWhore
10-07-2011, 03:30 PM
President of Panama Ricardo Martinelli said yesterday that his country has reduced tax evasion by lowering taxation and has stimulated the tourism industry by lowering the electricity tariff, as reported in El Caribe. He said that other policies that have been positive for Panama are free public Internet.
Martinelli said that free wi-fi and wi-max was implemented as a contribution to improve educational levels in the country. He said that to reduce school dropout rates, they established a universal scholarship whereby every child in public school receives US$20 a month, plus books, school supplies and a meal, as reported in Hoy.
He said efforts have led to a reduction in extreme poverty from 38 to 28%.
President Martinelli was speaking during the Presidential Lunch Conference at the V Competitiveness Forum of the Americas taking place at the Jaragua Renaissance Hotel in Santo Domingo. President Martinelli announced that he seeks for every one of the 800,000 students in Panama to have a computer. He said that a program is under way to deliver 192,000 computers to schools.
Martinelli highlighted the fact that his country's economy is growing at 10% a year, and foreign investment is set to reach US$3 billion. Panama is a tax haven and the fastest-growing economy in Central America. Dozens of international corporations have moved their regional headquarters to Panama since legislators passed a tax exemption law in 2007.
President Ricardo Martinelli said that Caribbean countries needed to prepare deep-water ports to receive the large post-Panamax freighter ships after the expansion of the Panama Canal. He said that the ports in New York are making multi-million dollar investments to accommodate these ships.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
Martinelli said that free wi-fi and wi-max was implemented as a contribution to improve educational levels in the country. He said that to reduce school dropout rates, they established a universal scholarship whereby every child in public school receives US$20 a month, plus books, school supplies and a meal, as reported in Hoy.
He said efforts have led to a reduction in extreme poverty from 38 to 28%.
President Martinelli was speaking during the Presidential Lunch Conference at the V Competitiveness Forum of the Americas taking place at the Jaragua Renaissance Hotel in Santo Domingo. President Martinelli announced that he seeks for every one of the 800,000 students in Panama to have a computer. He said that a program is under way to deliver 192,000 computers to schools.
Martinelli highlighted the fact that his country's economy is growing at 10% a year, and foreign investment is set to reach US$3 billion. Panama is a tax haven and the fastest-growing economy in Central America. Dozens of international corporations have moved their regional headquarters to Panama since legislators passed a tax exemption law in 2007.
President Ricardo Martinelli said that Caribbean countries needed to prepare deep-water ports to receive the large post-Panamax freighter ships after the expansion of the Panama Canal. He said that the ports in New York are making multi-million dollar investments to accommodate these ships.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)