Panama's Free-Trade Zone To Stage One-Day
Strike
Panama City - Workers at Panama's free
trade zone, from truck drivers to janitors,
will stage a one-day strike next week to
protest government plans to hike taxes and
fees, the head of the free zone merchants
association said on Friday.
Giovanni Ferrari said the stoppage will
affect all operations on Wednesday,
including movement of free-zone goods
through ports.
The Colon free-trade zone, spreading across
450 hectares, is a gateway to the Panama
Canal and employs thousands of people
responsible for moving goods to and from
giant warehouses. It is also a popular
tourist stop.
Lawmakers are working on legislation that
would raise government fees and taxes on
free zone activity by more than $100 million
per year, Ferrari said. "This is a very high
figure, taking into account the difficulties
we are going through."
President Ricardo Martinelli took office in
July on plans to boost government spending
but the global recession is seen hurting tax
receipts in a country that already has a
narrow collecting base.
Ferrari said the free zone handled about $9
billion in merchandise in 2008 but the
figure is seen falling this year.
Government figures show economic activity in
the commerce sector fell by 8.4 percent in
the first half of 2009 from the same period
in 2008, making it one of the hardest-hit
areas of Panama's economy. |
