World’s Best Access to Capital
Panama is at the top of the list of the countries with best access to capital, ranking in Latin American only after Chile and Brazil, according to a report from the Milken Institute published in 2005. The test of this report took into account the economic environment, banking development, capital markets, international recognition and sovereign risk.
Panama had previously been ranked amongst the world’s freest economies. Panama is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). In 2006 Panama is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Panama has initiated formal negotiations pertaining to free trade agreements with numerous countries and regional groups. |
