The Panamanian Association of Business Executives, APEDE, its Maritime and Logistics Development Commission and the Columbus Chapter held the 2022 Logistics Forum Where is the supply chain headed? Challenges and Opportunities for Panama as a Logistics Hub. A large space with international and national exhibitors, experts in logistics development in sectors such as: Maritime, air, innovation and sustainability.
The president of APEDE, Elisa Suárez de Gómez, expressed that it is necessary to work and promote “logistical and maritime development, which ensures the efficiency and competitiveness of a good supply chain, in this way generating development in the investment of the various sectors, which as a country we must continue promoting; For example, agriculture and industry. It is “a public-private team effort that requires applicable and sensible State policies.” indicated the president of APEDE.
The exhibitors agreed that Panama should begin to formalize and apply international standards. Integration is needed, see the industries with a collaborative approach. A better infrastructure, certification, reduction of time in ports, digitization of processes and harmonization of data, the implementation of a specialized entity that facilitates the flow of processes and implement greener and more sustainable processes; are some of the challenges.
Juan Horacio Stagg, indicated that 42% of the ‘Logistics’ time is invested in documents, a percentage that would decrease if the data is digitized and harmonized.
While Leonardo Boszczowski, ICAO Regional Aviation Security Officer, pointed out that cargo transport must be based on facilitation, seek efficiency, harmonize standards; safety; connectivity; and the digitization of cargo, the technology to change the business model.
Jan Hoffmann, Head of the logistics subdivision of UNCTAD, pointed out that one of the great challenges and opportunities for Panama, and all countries, is decarbonization. “We all have the opportunity to decarbonize,” he emphasized.
In this way. Alexis Rodríguez, environmental specialist for the Panama Canal Authority, indicated that sustainability is no longer a good practice, to become a business strategy.
In her closing remarks, the president of the Maritime and Logistics Development Commission, Lourdes Fong, invited us to be “vigilant and inject momentum into the competent institutions so that the legal and governance framework maintains alignment and updating with the strategy that must be executed. and that has been established in the 2030 Plan. Be vigilant as a private sector of our state policies”.
“Work together to achieve the implementation of international standards, and give them continuity in our industries in the sector that opens the compass to greater investment from companies, which due to the benefits of our country, still do not see us within their radar due to lack of it. .
