One of the prettiest Islands off shore here in Chirqui is Coiba. The problem is that no one exploits it. The government needs to open this park island up for public private development. Perhaps with the new law here will be incentives to do this and other areas here in Chiriqui.
The Panamanian National Assembly has given final approval to Act 481 which includes incentives for the promotion of tourism. I can think of a dozen projects here in Chiriqui that will benefit.
Tourism businesses welcomed the new rule, but complained that no provision has been made in establishing incentives for small tourism businesses.
An article by Alex E. V. Hernandez in Prensa.com review some of the main provisions of Act 481:
“Hotel investments greater than $ 250,000 inside the country can benefit from tax incentives, such as exemption for five years on imports of materials not manufactured in Panama. And not paying property tax on land and improvements for 15 years, among other things. ”
“… hotels in the interior which make improvements worth $100,000 will also benefit from certain incentives that are valid until 2020.”
“In the capital, it was established that only the hotels that are currently under construction and which have investments of more than $8 million will benefit from the stimulus package.”
Source: Prensa.com
Why does it need to be exploited? Can’t the animals have a place of their own? It is a proven fact that exploitation leads to over exploitation and destruction. Please don’t push for the destruction of Coiba.
You state that “the prettiest islands off Chiriqui is Coiba” when Coiba is off Veraguas Province. That doesn’t take away from it’s beauty but you should be more accurate as to it’s location.
Tax incentives? Seriously? Coiba is so beautiful because it is unspoiled. Private/public investment will transform Coiba – currently a National Marine Park, very impressive and known throughout the world, scoring big points for Panama/preservation – into just another developed island which could be anywhere. Rush, rush, lets build hotels and resorts everywhere, and pave the world for our tax incentives. Panama City is a cesspool of unchecked development with little if any environmental regulations or notable architecture (Gehry museum aside, perhaps). The world needs more undeveloped, unspoiled lands, not less of them. How about private and public developers pick up the hundreds of tons of trash littering Panama’s beaches and educate citizens not to literally throw their trash on the sand, and provide top notch service to tourists who visit the existing resorts, while promoting Panama as a country WITH unspoiled National parks where whales, birds, and other creatures are actually able to live in a natural world not overrun with humans. Develop Coiba and Panama may gain some $, but will lose a natural, national treasure.
“One of the prettiest Islands off shore here in Chirqui is Coiba. The problem is that no one exploits it.”
– quoted from article above
Typical third world greed. Short sighted capitalists rush in where angels dare to tread. The smart decision is to keep Coiba as a National Park and charge tourists very high rates for guided tours which tread lightly – this is the tourism of the future. Greed driven “development” is not the future, in fact it is a turn off. (My wife and her family and friends are educated Panamanians and think that what this article promotes is absurd). Panama, please rise above this:
Quoted from article above:
“Hotel investments greater than $ 250,000 inside the country can benefit from tax incentives, such as exemption for five years on imports of materials not manufactured in Panama. And not paying property tax on land and improvements for 15 years, among other things. ”
“… hotels in the interior which make improvements worth $100,000 will also benefit from certain incentives that are valid until 2020.”
I’m from Panama, borned and raised, and I’m against developing and destroying one of the most beautiful unspoiled islands in our country. Coiba is a National Marine Park, a sanctuary for many species and it should be preserved that way. It does not need to be “exploited”. Panama should be known for its conservation efforts rather than destroying our resources. We certainly don’t need a greedy gringo to promote “private development” of Coiba, thanks for nothing Tom.