(prensa.com
) Panama’s economic prospects will again be positive for the upcoming year, analysts are forecasting.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean are projecting economic growth of 7.5 percentĀ in Panama this year. Felipe Chapman, of the consulting firm Indesa, is predicting growth of 7 percent.
This widespread optimism is based on the start of several large-scale government projects, including the Metro, as well as the continued expansion of the Panama Canal, which will have about 7,500 workers in the second half of 2011.
Analysts, however,Ā have also said that theĀ government needs to operate with transparency, efficiency and with the appropriate accountability. A possible increase in the price of oil and the behavior of the global economy are some external threats that could affect the country’s short-term growth, they said.