Investments by Panama are resulting in it being positioned next to Chile in the 2013 Information Technology ranking by the World Economic Forum.

The availability of free internet nationwide in ‘infoplazas’, the provision of computers with Internet access to schools and the implementation of e-government, has allowed Panama to advance its use of new technologies in Latin America.

“The advances place Panama in a leadership position in Latin America in the adoption of information technologies and communication, known as ICT, to be located in the first position in Central America and third in the region climbing eleven positions in the 2013 Global Report on Information Technology published by the world Economic Forum which evaluates 144 economies in the world,” noted an article in Panamaamerica.com.pa.

The country has invested approximately $120 million in digital inclusion programs. However, state modernization in technology has meant an investment of over one billion dollars in the last three years.

According to Eduardo Jaen, general administrator of the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), the programs are ambitious, as the government aims to increase investment from 0.4% of GDP to the regional average of 0.7% of GDP.

Source: Panamaamerica.com.pa