What Happened
Panama combines strategic assets — ports on both oceans, the Panama Canal, a global logistics hub, the Colón Free Zone, a stable banking center and the US dollar as currency — that position the country strongly in global trade. Yet, despite these advantages, an opinion piece in La Prensa highlights a persistent shortfall: commercial training, customer service education and sales culture remain limited, fragmented or unsustained across the country.
Background
The article notes that other nations with fewer structural assets have invested in developing human capital around commercial skills and service culture, using these strengths to stimulate domestic consumption, attract investment and boost tourism. In Panama, available training often lacks continuity: programs are not consistently followed up, measured or supported by business leadership, which reduces their long-term impact.
Challenges and Gaps
According to the piece, the problem is not the absence of infrastructure or market opportunity but the insufficient, dispersed and short-lived nature of people-focused initiatives. Training without sustained implementation and evaluation risks wasting time and resources. The author argues that isolated workshops or one-off courses do not translate into a durable service culture or competitive commercial mindset.
What This Means
The opinion suggests that Panama’s comparative advantages could be amplified by intentionally developing the country’s human capital. Aligning efforts between government and the private sector to create sustained, measurable programs in sales, customer service and commercial skills could increase national consumption, strengthen tourism and logistics sectors, and generate employment. The piece frames the ultimate competitive edge as Panama’s people rather than solely its infrastructure.
Looking Ahead
The article calls for a countrywide strategy in which government and businesses coordinate long-term investment in training, monitoring and leadership commitment. Without fabricating specifics, it stresses that purposeful, continuous development of commercial capabilities would allow Panama to better leverage its ports, Canal and financial services for broader economic and social returns.
Nota: el autor se identifica en el artículo como coach comercial.