Panamanian authorities reported on Wednesday the beginning of the construction of a large “multipurpose marine terminal” in Puerto Barú, located in the province of Chiriquí, in the Pacific and near the border with Costa Rica, with an investment of 250 million dollars.
“The project is part of the AMP’s strategic plan, which includes first-level infrastructure and a wide range of services. This effort seeks to enhance Panama’s image and remain a world reference in the maritime, port and logistics sectors,” said the administrator of the Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP), Luis Roquebert.
The work, whose “initial investment” is 250 million dollars, is intended for ecological tourism, the logistics sector and the “agro-industry”, according to official information.
In addition, it is expected that this millionaire work will create more than 1,200 direct jobs during its construction, 900 in its operation and 600 indirect jobs, which – according to the authorities – would benefit more than 10,000 families from Chiriquí and David, the capital city of that province.
The general manager of Puerto Barú, Ismael González, said for his part that the city of David “will not be the same when this project is operating.”
“Its proximity to the Pan-American Highway, the proximity to the Gualaca-Chiriquí Grande highway, Enrique Malek Airport (25 kilometers away), Paso Canoas (80 kilometers away), Boquete, Tierras Altas (tourist areas within the province) and the Ngäbe Region (adjacent to Chiriquí) make the capital of Chirica in an extraordinary strategic center, never exploited before,” he added.
Panama secures the construction of its first green port
And he concluded: “The infrastructure will also be the first green port in the country and we will work with the certifiers to fully meet that objective.”
Panama is a country with an economy based on services. The logistics sector represents about 30% of the gross domestic product (GDP), while agricultural production is around 3%.
The Central American country has ports both on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific coast, the largest free zone on the continent and the Interoceanic Canal, one of the biggest drivers of the Panamanian economy.
Tourism revenues in Panama grew by 9.6% in the first eight months of 2024, compared to the same period of 2023, and reached 4,054.9 million dollars.
I am very concerned with the dredging needed to complete the entry to this port. The inshore fishery has been in decline for years now. With commercial and artisanal trible netting of fish in the estuary, the ecosystem can not stand the disturbance of the silt and mud created from the dredging. How will this huge problem be addressed?