PANAMA CANAL administrator Jorge Luis Quijano, who has his own construction problems to worry about,, attempted to downplay  plans for a Nicaraguan Canal on Tuesday, August 5 at a Forum on 100 years of the Panama Canal.

While announcing that he expects the expansion of the waterway, originally scheduled for 2014 to be ready for operation in February 2016, he said that the Nicaraguan Canal may require a total investment of $67 billion and its execution will require the excavation of a daily average of 3.1 million cubic meters of earth, while the maximum reached in Panama was 140,000 cubic meters a day.

Earlier announcements from Nicaragua and China have put the cost at $40-50 billion. Including the cost of a railroad, an airport and two ports and earlier announcements said work would begin in December this year

Of the Panama expansion project Quijano said:”We will begin operations in the second month of 2016," He was speaking during the forum "100 years of the Panama Canal" organized by La Prensa newspaper.

At the forum, where he was accompanied by representatives of the Colón Free Zone, the logistics sector and shipping companies, who analyzed the impact of the Panama Canal on the country's economy, Quijano stressed the role of the ACP as a facilitator of new business platforms within the private sector.

Surse Pierpoint, commercial manager of the free zone, promised major efforts to bring Wal Mart to the country, saying its chain of product distribution is the most important in the world.

Severo Sousa, president of the Logistics Business Council, listed future actions to be met by the public and private sectors. For example, he said that the functions of the government, the ACP and the private sector should be coordinated to define a unique strategic route.

He called for the creation of a Logistic Cabinet and for its interaction with the private sector through a National Logistics Secretariat.

And he suggested considering the areas around the Canal to increase and multiply the network of services in the logistics industry.

Antonio Domínguez, senior executive of Maersk Latin America, emphasized the function of the channel as a "dream engine" but said the Canal needed to have the  right infrastructure and be aware of the challenges of contemporary trade.

The correct infrastructure will allow "our producers the opportunity to develop their projects to become great entrepreneurs." He stressed that Maersk has had a presence in Panama for 97 years.

The shipping company, according to Domínguez, makes use of Panamanian port and  logistics hubs. These benefits are realized in "total trust in the current expansion plans and in the vertical management of the administration of the Panama Canal."

He made a call for the passage of a law forstaffing logistics sector, and said the lack of bilingual skilled labor, is a major obstacle facing the industry.

Canal expansion project operating in 2016
PANAMA CANAL administrator Jorge Luis Quijano, who has his own construction problems to worry about, attempted to throw cold water on plans for a Nicaraguan Canal on Tuesday, August 5.
While announcing that he expects the expansion of the waterway, originally scheduled for 2014 to be ready for operation in February 2016, he said that the Nicaraguan Canal may require a total investment of $67 billion and its execution will require the excavation of a daily average of 3.1 million cubic meters of earth, while the maximum reached in Panama was 140,000 cubic meters a day.
Earlier announcements from Nicaragua and China have put the cost at $40-50 billion. Including the cost of a railroad, an airport and two ports and earlier announcements said work would begin in December this year
Of the Panama expansion project Quijano said:”We will begin operations in the second month of 2016," He was speaking during the forum "100 years of the Panama Canal" organized by La Prensa newspaper.
At the forum, where he was accompanied by representatives of the Colón Free Zone, the logistics sector and shipping companies, who analyzed the impact of the Panama Canal on the country's economy, Quijano stressed the role of the ACP as a facilitator of new business platforms within the private sector.
Surse Pierpoint, commercial manager of the free zone, promised major efforts to bring Wal Mart to the country, saying its chain of product distribution is the most important in the world.
Severo Sousa, president of the Logistics Business Council, listed future actions to be met by the public and private sectors. For example, he said that the functions of the government, the ACP and the private sector should be coordinated to define a unique strategic route.
He called for the creation of a Logistic Cabinet and for its interaction with the private sector through a National Logistics Secretariat.
And he suggested considering the areas around the Canal to increase and multiply the network of services in the logistics industry.
Antonio Domínguez, senior executive of Maersk Latin America, emphasized the function of the channel as a "dream engine" but said the Canal needed to have the right infrastructure and be aware of the challenges of contemporary trade.
The correct infrastructure will allow "our producers the opportunity to develop their projects to become great entrepreneurs." He stressed that Maersk has had a presence in Panama for 97 years.
The shipping company, according to Domínguez, makes use of Panamanian port and logistics hubs. These benefits are realized in "total trust in the current expansion plans and in the vertical management of the administration of the Panama Canal."
He made a call for the passage of a law forstaffing logistics sector, and said the lack of bilingual skilled labor, is a major obstacle facing the industry.