OPINION: Seeking leaders as investment plummets

Foreign direct investment plummeted last year. In this area, Panama was only able to raise just under $600 million (a drop of more than 85%), so it will be a huge challenge to attract foreign investors. The National Competitiveness Center advises, to face the challenge, promote the country, but it also recommends more competitiveness and better prepare our human resources, and strengthen the country in terms of transparency, institutionality, ethics and simplification and digitization of procedures. For years, the country has lagged behind in these matters. Our education goes from bad to worse, the bureaucratic procedures are so cumbersome, that they lend themselves to bribery, as, indeed, occurs in municipalities and government entities. Accountability and transparency are undoubtedly our greatest institutional weaknesses, with the aggravating circumstance that justice is highly corrupt. Our economy is seriously affected by the restrictions to combat the pandemic. Recovering will not be easy if, in addition, we have those heavyweights that prevent it. Everything indicates that before recovering economically, we will have to improve ourselves as a country. And this includes, particularly, our leaders. – LA PRENSA, May 13.