It’s A Hook Up

In terms of ICT, Latin America is quickly becoming one of the places to watch. Panama has become one of the most well-known advocates of e-government and connectivity in the region, with successive administrations putting information technology and connectivity at the top of the national agenda. Panama is working to push ahead, with some obvious successes. Mobile cellular technology is showing high levels of penetration, increasing from 16% in 2002 to 204% by the beginning of 2012, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

The former president, Ricardo Martinelli, had made connectivity for all Panamanians a central plank of his government policy. He specifically stated that by 2014, all citizens should be connected, and be able access any services offered by the state: it is a national aspiration that all Panamanians have access to ICT and are able to access everything the sector has to offer. The benefits of this aspiration are clear. Elsa de Sucre, President of Canon in the region, told TBY that ICT is crucial for the development of the country, “Our economy is based on services. There are many aspects that contribute to be strong as they are our geographical position, the stability of the banking system, the use of the US dollar, and the laws created to attract investors,” de Sucre said. “All of these require us to be on top of all of them. We still need to invest in upgrading all public institutions to increase our competitiveness.” Investment in this sense means a deeper commitment to ICT and getting Panamanians online and plugged in.

The government has invested $500 million in ICT. From its point of view, the ICT sector can be an engine for growth, and lead to national development and improvements across a number of sectors; including finance, education, the environment, transport, and healthcare. Irvin Halman, the General Administrator of the National Authority for Governmental Innovation (AIG), the body tasked with accomplishing these priorities, has said that all government departments must work “across the board to support all of the e-government and modernizing initiatives.” Work still needs to be done in many areas, and it is a specific national priority to get the university sector and new graduates trained up on all the latest ICT so that Panama can both compete and prosper in the region, and globally.

The priorities, drive, and necessary investment are there, but some serious problems do remain: for example, many Panamanians still cannot afford internet access. The regulatory environment still needs more development, and the existence of large segments of the population with a low skills base serves as another hurdle to overcome.