The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, participated as the main speaker of a forum organized in New York by the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, where he assured that he will work for a Panama with clear rules, without corruption, so that foreign investment is maintained and can grow.
Mulino stressed that to facilitate the arrival of more foreign investment, his government will give importance to the existence of a true rule of law, where the Executive does not manipulate justice against anyone.
“We greatly respect the contractual freedom that there is with investors who arrive in Panama through winning a tender, contracts or concessions. In whatever way, but that the rules of the game for them are clear and with the certainty that there is a rule of law,” said Mulino at the event, which took place at the headquarters of the Harvard Club in New York and had as moderators Nuria Vilanova, president of the CEAPI (Business Council, Alliance for Ibero-America) and Carlos Diaz-Rosillo, director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom.
As an example that the government he has been leading since last July is pro-private company, Mulino said that they are already proceeding with the payment of more than 800 million dollars in overdue accounts of state contractors.
“My government is a private company, I come from there and I don’t have to hide my origins,” Mulino said, pointing out that this does not contemplate giving room to corruption.
“I did not come to this position to do business, nor to look for a partner or to take part of a business,” he reiterated before the forum of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, where he signed three scrolls as a souvenir of his visit as president of Panama to the Harvard Club facilities in New York.
Mulino highlighted large projects with foreign investment that are being executed in Panama, such as the third Metro line, which includes a tunnel under the Panama Canal, in addition to important works that will be carried out to develop a new drinking water infrastructure in Panama.
The Panamanian president also spoke in this forum about the problem of illegal migration by Darién and the lack of international support for Panama on this issue, as well as the insecurity and measures he is taking to restore peace of mind to Panamanians in this regard.
After participating in this event, President Mulino; the Minister of Economy and Finance, Guillermo Chapman, and the Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, met with the new president and executive director of Citibank, Jane Nind Fraser, and her work team.