NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2016

Introduction

"Welcome to the first edition of the World Trade Center Panama Newsletter of 2016! Through this newsletter we interconnect our members and inform our tenants by sharing useful information about WTC Panama. We also showcase the ongoing activities and the latest updates on upcoming and past events, as well as the international relationship of WTC Panama with other WTC’s through the WTC Association.” " Remy Swaab, Executive Director, WTC Panama.

Close to Home

WTC Panama avant garde

As already covered by several local newspapers, the WTC Panama revamping has started last year and will continue this 2016 with the development of many new projects! The WTC Panama Complex continually works on keeping at the cutting edge of technology with member services that exceed the standards.

The WTC Panama has developed a custom made online platform to manage member services, secure RFID ID cards, parking access management, document management and the fire drill & emergency evacuation procedure – all in one online interface. Additionally, with a Regus Business Center, Hotel and Conventions space, Post Office and all the international businesses in the office tower, the WTC Panama is a real Business Complex with the international brand that has established it as a landmark in this ever growing city. That said, it’s the companies that work with us that are the real success stories. We want to wish them and everyone else a prosperous 2016!

New Snack machine at WTC Panama

The WTC Panama Complex has a new vending machine selling snacks and drinks. For those moments that you have arrived late without eating something in the morning, or just when you need a little snack at the end of the day for some energy. This new machine could be a fast and more important, a very close solution without having to leave the building. It’s offering a variety of sweet or savory snacks and even some sodas. Go and have a look to see what it can offer you; it is located on the Mezzanine of the WTC Panama Complex.

WTC Panama Complex acquires Property Management Software (PladPro)

WTC Panama Complex leading in technology implementations, has obtained a property Management Software called “Pladpro”, which centralizes different types of information for easy access and overview. The capabilities of this software include managing the database of tenants, property owners and properties. Additional custom development includes the management of the new WTC ID Card as well as controlling the access controls allowed for each card. With an additional module that integrates this information with the underground parking security system. WTC Panama’s head of security, Mr. Natividad Moran, further explains: “Centralizing all the information in one system allows for the best security practices to be implemented. We can easily determine which unique ID Card is used to access the different locations inside the WTC Panama Complex, including the parking area, to then be able to contact that person if needed. And changes in security clearance can be done in real time.”

Member Acknowledgment

Words from Mr. Ricardo Vargas, Lawyer

We are a boutique company dedicated to providing the highest quality of legal services with the emphasis on Migration issues, Business Consultancy, Public Procurement, Incorporation of Companies and Private Foundations. Our firm focuses on companies who want to settle in Panama. We provide them everything that is necessary to make this legal process as easy as possible for you, your business or family. While considering all options that are most favorable individually, our efforts will lead to a proper legalization of the immigration status in this country and we will give you the best advice to set up your business or investment.

We are devoted and dedicated to fully satisfy all specific needs of our customers by providing specialized, reliable and efficient services. With all our experience we are convinced we are your best option to be the first stop in Panama for these services. Please come and visit us at our office #1106 at the World Trade Center Panama Office Tower, or contact us: Tel 223-6393 or per email: rvargas@rvargaslaw.com

Words from the chef of “El Encuentro”

Our concept is to offer our customers products of good quality, with excellent prices and great service. El Encuentro can be your meeting point for every morning and afternoon. We have many different products that will suit everyones needs, from omelettes, parfait, sandwiches and croissants in the morning for breakfast, with a great cup of coffee or a smoothie. And for lunch we have a daily menu that varies including a starter, a main meal, a drink and additionally a sweet finish, for example a nice cupcake, a cake or a flan. We are positive that you will enjoy and like our products and hope to see you soon in the “Encuentro”. We are located on the ground floor of the commercial area, local L-24, next to the elevator.

Member At Heart

Advantages for companies who deal in Foreign Exchange in Panama

Bannockburn Global Forex is a boutique capital markets trading firm specializing in currency advisory and payment services. The firm has a business model that is purely client oriented. Its principal focus is on combining its 125 years of experience in financial markets with highly cost efficient currency transactions to provide expert level consulting and foreign exchange payment services.

Bannockburn Global Forex, LLC can help reduce forex transaction costs for all companies in Panama. They provide market-leading foreign exchange transaction and advisory services at preferred prices. A web portal will allow the processing of foreign currency payments at preferred rates of exchange. The benefits of Bannockburn Global Forex, LLC:

• Potential savings of up to 80% per transaction due to the purchasing scale of the global WTCA Network
• Streamlined on-boarding, requiring no change to current bank account

For more information, questions or to organize a personal meeting with Bannockburn in Panama, contact WTC Panama: communication@wtcpanama.org or contact Bannockburn directly: www.bbbgfx.com Read more

2016 WTCA General Assembly in Algeria

The next, 47 ^th, General Assembly will be hosted by World Trade Center Algiers on April 17 – 20, 2016. This event “Better Together: Growth Through Community” will be located at the 5-star Hotel Aurassi, overlooking the Bay of Algiers. During the event WTC Algiers will highlight the international business and investment opportunities that this North African business hub has to offer.

During the annual Member Seminar of the World Trade Centers Association last October 2015 in New York , Mr. Ahmed Tibaoui (General Manager & CEO, WTC Algiers) and Dr. Ismael Chikhoune, M.D. (President & CEO, US-Algeria Business Council) discussed the economic benefits of doing business with Algeria, emphasizing its major industries of oil and gas, hi-tech, healthcare, construction. As the largest country in Africa, Algeria has no debt and a cash flow of USD 200 billion. The two presenters focused on how international businesses can invest and do business with Algerian companies, and encouraged them to travel to Algiers for the 2016 WTCA General Assembly hosted by World Trade Center Algiers. Is you are interested in attending this event, contact communication@wtcpanama.org

Promote your Company on our Newsletter

World Trade Center Panama offers to all their businesses and members to promote their services and products through the WTC Panama newsletter. If you are interested in taking advantage of this benefit please send a short article for the section: “Member Acknowledgement – WTC Member to Member”. This article, of maximum 200 words, could contain information about your company and services/products, the relationship with and advantages of the WTC Panama Complex and other comments you would wish to publish. The article can be written in Spanish and/or English, as the Newsletter is written in both languages. Don’t forget to include a photo/logo of your company to the article. You can send this to: newsletter@wtcpanama.org

Connected to the World

The Power of a worldwide network (WTCA)

Mr. Rolf Draak, interim CEO of the World Trade Centers Association has been interviewed by Anuario Inmobiliario where he explains the advantages of this worldwide network of 320 World Trade Centers in 100 countries. They are all connected through a global network that fosters the development of an international and local business community. Mr. Draak also speaks about the progress and development of this important network in Latin America. He elaborates that over the past 5 years more than 20 WTC’s have joined the organization. For more information click here

Regional Meeting Latin America in Brazil

The second annual Latin American WTC Member Regional Meeting was held from November 24-25, hosted this year by World Trade Center São Paulo and the World Trade Centers Association's Latin American Regional Office. More than 25 World Trade Centers from different Latin American countries attended this regional gathering. Special guests from other WTCs were invited, including WTC Fort Lauderdale, USA and a representative of 12 Indian WTCs. This event was held alongside with the LATAM FOR BUSINESS event, where government officials from different Latin American countries and business leaders discussed the future of regional trade. Presentations emphasized possible strategies to stimulate business development, cooperation and economic challenges for the next decade. The Latam For Business forum brought together about 500 entrepreneurs from the region, attending both conferences and business meetings.

WTC Fort Lauderdale

The focus of the WTC Fort Lauderdale is to position itself as the ‘hub’ between the Unites States and Latin America, and especially Brazil. This WTC falls under the umbrella of WTC Sao Paolo and has 1500 members in the Latin America region where they are promoting opportunities and partnership with the US. One of the programs of WTC Fort Lauderdale is a service portfolio which offer services on Strategy Planning, Implementation, EB5, IT Services, Real Estate, International Transfers and Immigration Law services.

Fort Lauderdale is located at Broward County and is strategically in the center of South Florida, the nation’s 8th largest metropolitan area, with a population of more than 5.8 million residents. They have easy accessibility to both domestic and international markets through their recently expanded airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. Fort Lauderdale is home to the leading container port in Florida, the 12th busiest container port in the nation, and they have the number 1 Passengers port, the Port Everglades. Besides this, Fort Lauderdale has an outstanding tax climate and a fiscally strong county government. For more information or to connect with WTC Fort Lauderdale, please contact: communication@wtcpanama.org

WTC Winnipeg, Canada organizes Centrallia Event

From the 25^th until the 27^th of May, 2016 WTC Winnipeg will be hosting Centrallia in Winnipeg, capital of Manitoba in Canada. Centrallia is an international business-to-business forum that connects local businesses to international opportunities and contributes millions to the local economy. This global forum is expected to draw 700 businesses from 30 countries where the participants will have the opportunity to be able to pre-schedule one-to-one business meetings with 14 companies of their choices in 2½ day, They will have the opportunity to make a total of 5,000 individual connections. Among the industries that will be represented are manufacturing, agribusiness, construction and infrastructure, mining, research and development, environmental technologies, energy, transportation and logistics and and Communication Technologies. Read more

Panama News

Expansion Panama Canal will be inaugurated in April 2016

According to the consortium United Group for the Canal (GUPC), the test results for the new set of locks are satisfying. Despite small leaks that are currently being repaired, the third set of locks is planned to be operational by April 2016. The Panamanian Canal Authority (ACP) confirms this in a technical report on its website. About 94% of the expansion program has already been completed. The new locks enable ships with 14.000 TEU to cross the canal.

The opening of the new locks was originally scheduled for 2014 to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the existing Panama Canal, but cost overruns and delays have pushed the opening to its current date of April 2016. Read more

Panama signs first Middle Eastern FTA with Israel

Panama signed a free trade agreement with Israel, its first with a Middle Eastern nation. The agreement was signed on the 21st of November 2015 in Panama City to seal a set of negotiated deals including access to markets, customs, services and investments, intellectual property, trade obstacles, institutional issues and conflict resolution.

“This is our very first agreement with a Middle Eastern partner and hence it represents important opportunities to Panamanian exporters and businessmen. It has a vast coverage of goods, services and investment,” said Meliton Arrocha, Panama’s minister of trade and industries.

A special chapter of the agreement also intends to boost the capabilities and competitiveness of the Central American nation’s small- and medium-sized companies in innovation and technology transfer fields, he added. The negotiations are part of efforts by Israel to expand its exports to new markets and strengthen relations with Latin American countries. Israeli exports to Panama in 2014 stood at $25 million and imports from Panama at $3 million, according to the Israel’s Ministry of Economy. Read more

Government digitalizes state procedures

The National Authority for Governmental Innovation (AIG) announced that it is working on an Electronic Government Program. This program will simplify governmental procedures and merge data from different departments into one efficient system. From 2016 on, one single website Panama Tramita will be launched where in total 105 procedures can be started. This number shall be increased to 450 in 2019. The cost of this project is US$30 million, of which US$22 million will be financed by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) and US$8 million will be financed directly by the Panamanian state. Read more

Growth of almost 10% in construction sector

After a slowdown in the beginning of this year, the Panamanian construction sector shows high growth rates again. During the first 9 months of 2015 the sector grew 9,8% compared with the same period the year before. The increase in new residential projects is mainly responsible for the growth . Most of the construction projects take place in Panama City and Arraiján. Read more

Upcoming Events

About Us

WTC Panama aims to expand communication, international market culture and business services. The primary goal of the WTC Panama is to bring together the businesses involved in international commerce and provide them with services that will help facilitate growth. WTC Panama connects various economic segments locally and globally and is a member of the World Trade Centers Association. This Association stimulates trade and investment opportunities for commercial property developers, economic development agencies and international businesses looking to connect globally and prosper locally through the exclusive 330 'World Trade Center' branded properties and trade service.