coll. - Multi-Dimensional Review of Panama : Volume 2: In-depth Analysis and Recommendations

Multi-dimensional Country Reviews are the result of a collaborative effort of the OECD and the country under review. Work on this second phase of the Multi-dimensional Review of Panama was carried out by the OECD Development Centre in collaboration with the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship (CEF) and the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (CTP), together with support from the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Panama.

Mario Pezzini, Director of the OECD Development Centre, guided and oversaw the review. The Multi-dimensional Country Review process is led by Jan Rielaender, Head of the MDCR Unit and Angel Melguizo, Head of Latin America and the Caribbean Unit, both at the OECD Development Centre.

The review was co-ordinated by Sebastin Nieto Parra, Deputy-Head of Latin America and the Caribbean Unit at the OECD Development Centre, and drafted by Juan Carlos Bentez, Paula Cerutti, Juan de Laiglesia, Rene Orozco and Sebastin Nieto Parra (OECD Development Centre); Maria Varinia Michalun and Isabelle Chatry (OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship); and Agustin Redonda (Council on Economic Policies). The tax and benefit incidence analysis was done by Sandra Martinez under the guidance of Nora Lustig (Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Institute Tulane University). Additional inputs were provided by Lyse Marques and Nathalia Montoya Gonzalez (OECD Development Centre). The team is grateful for the insightful discussions, data provided and comments made by Federico Bonaglia, Juan Vzquez Zamora, Carine Viac and Agustina Vierheller (OECD Development Centre); Monica Bhatia, Bert Brys, Cline Colin and Jeremiah Coder (OECD Centre for Tax Policy); Dorothe Allain-Dupr and Oscar Huerta-Melchor (OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship); Patrick Lenain (Economics Department); Catalina Covacevich (OECD Directorate for Education and Skills); and Paolo Falco (OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs).

Various ministries and public agencies provided useful support during the authors visit to Panama in October 2017 as well as throughout the production of the report. The role of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the main counterpart for this report, was particularly valuable, both technically and analytically. Special thanks go to Vice Minister Gustavo Valderrama Rodrguez, Director of Public Policies Marissa Echevers, and Rubilu Rodriguez from the same Directorate for all their support. The Panamanian Embassy in Paris, member of the OECD Development Centres Governing Board provided crucial support in the realisation and production process of this report.

Other ministries and public agencies also contributed largely, namely: the National Institute of Statistics at the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama, the Panama Canal Authority, the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, the National Secretariat of Energy, AMUPA (Association of Municipalities of Panama), the Vice Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, Kuna Yala Comarca, the National Decentralization Secretariat, the Panama City Town Hall and the Ministry of Government. Finally, the team is grateful to the participants of two workshops hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Panama in November 2016 and October 2017 that brought together stakeholders from a broad set of backgrounds to identify global trends that could affect Panamas future development.