DEBATE Snapshot of sustainable growth

FELIPE VENICIO RODRÍGUEZ, PRESIDENTE DE LA CÁMARA DE COMERCIO,INDUSTRIAS Y AGRICULTURA DE CHIRIQUÍ.

las claves para lograr aperturas de mercados ha sido el buscar sinergias con otros grupos. “Hemos hecho convenios con la Cámara Marítima de Panamá y con la Asociación de Armadores Panameños, para el desarrollo de la zona marítima portuaria, de las industrias marítimas auxiliares, negocios de avituallamiento y de marinas para que, a su vez, otros grupos empresariales como son el transporte terrestre, el turismo, el agro, se beneficien de eso. El proyecto de Puerto Barú, por dar un ejemplo, va a tener una inversión de 150 millones para el distrito de David y, desde la CAMCHI, ya hemos notificado a nuestro sector logístico que deben estar preparados para suplir los requerimientos que este nivel de proyecto demanda”, señala el destacado empresario y gremialista.

Prueba de que existe una visión estratégica regional es la presencia del Centro de Competitividad de la Región Occidental de Panamá (CECOM-RO), que nace del impulso de la CAMCHI, APEDE y la FUNDACIÓN PRO-CHIRIQUÍ, organizaciones todas formadas por empresarios comprometidos con el desarrollo socio-económico de Chiriquí en asociación con algunos organismos internacionales.

El Centro, dirigido por el empresario Felipe Ariel Rodríguez., nace con la idea de impulsar la posición competitiva de la Región Occidental del país, trabaja articulando los esfuerzos públicos y privados, acercando a las empresas, y brindando las herramientas que les permitan desarrollar ventajas competitivas sostenibles. Hoy en día, el papel de CECOMRO, es fundamental para la atracción de inversiones, el desarrollo de emprendimientos y nuevos negocios, de los proyectos de infraestructura y es una plataforma ideal para contribuir de manera efectiva con las políticas públicas, horizontales y sectoriales, que tanta importancia tienen para la gestión de proyectos.

Otro brazo ejecutor de trabajo gremial lo aporta la Asociación Panameña de Ejecutivos de Empresa Capítulo Chiriquí, quienes bajo la presidencia de Tiffany Castaño, han sumado factores de negociación que aportan a la ejecutoria de proyectos. Sus esfuerzos se encaminan, desde lo interno, a incluir entre sus agremiados a expertos en los rubros que están desarrollando en la región en especial logística y marítima de tal manera que desarrollen las estrategias específicas para la región y, en lo externo, promover la presencia de inversionistas para que desarrollen proyectos. “Siempre hemos luchado por tener en la región un puerto desde donde podamos descargar productos y brindar servicios auxiliares y no depender de Colón y nuestro trabajo es brindarles la asesoría y darles la mayor cantidad de información posible. APEDE se dedica especialmente al tema educativo, es un hecho que los jóvenes migran a la ciudad o al extranjero y no regresan y esa fuga de talentos nos afecta para el relevo generacional de la región. Por lo que estamos trabajando en brindarles mejores oportunidades. Es parte de nuestra Visión 2050”, afirma la Presidente de APEDE - CAPÍTULO CHIRIQUI.

Los gremios de transportistas que son parte de COEL y que cuentan también con una importante presencia en la región, son la Cámara Nacional de Transporte de Carga – CANATRACA y el Sindicato de Camioneros de Chiriquí –SICACHI.

El transporte de carga es el fundamento por excelencia de la cadena logística. Toda operación logística empieza y termina con

FELIPE ARIEL

RODRÍGUEZ, PRESIDENTE DE CECOMRO.

TIFFANY CASTAÑO, PRESIDENTE DE APEDE.

ANDRÉS MUÑOZ, PRESIDENTE DE CANATRACA E IMPORTANTES EMPRESARIOS DEL GREMIO TRANSPORTISTA.

el traslado de una carga, ya sea que llegue por barco a un puerto, por avión a un aeropuerto o por ferrocarril a una terminal. Así de importante como de sensible es su operación, toda vez que se trata de empresas privadas que brindan un servicio público. En este sentido, sus movimientos oscilan entre el alza del combustible por factores externos; el estado muchas veces deteriorado de la infraestructura por donde transitan día a día; la falta de insumos para sus flotas que son de difícil renovación y la falta de un organismo capacitador y gestor de una certificación que los avale.

Como señala Andrés Muñoz, presidente de la CANATRACA “Los transportistas hemos pasado de ser hombres-camión informales a ser empresarios que cumplimos con pagar impuestos, pagamos prestaciones sociales y cada día mejoramos las condiciones de nuestros trabajadores. Desde nuestro gremio, nos esforzamos por inculcarles que somos gestores del transporte, que pertenecemos a la cadena logística nacional y que debemos optimizar nuestro servicio aprendiendo el manejo y la administración de nuestro negocio, porque eso, además, nos va a ayudar a no incrementar fletes”.

El aporte de las nuevas generaciones ha sido fundamental en lograr el crecimiento sostenido que ha tenido el transporte terrestre chiricano. Importantes patios con prominentes flotas son sostenidos hoy por sistemas de comunicación cerrados y tecnología de punta. Sin embargo, hay puntos ciegos en la industria como la falta de capacitación en temas tan urgentes como la seguridad y educación vial.

Fernando Ríos, presidente de SICACHI, suma su amplia experiencia para señalar que muchos son los logros que se han tenido a lo largo de décadas de gestión en esta industria. Uno de los más importantes, señala es el haber conseguido el uso de un código internacional que permite que los transportistas puedan trabajar fuera del territorio nacional; un trabajo logrado con Aduanas que permite la regulación del tránsito a nivel centroamericano.

Otro aspecto importante logrado, fruto de las negociaciones del beligerante sector, es la regulación de precios, que implica que, dentro de una oferta y demanda de los mercados, se establezca un estándar común y, por supuesto, la Ley 51 que regula el transporte de carga, una ley especial que en su Artículo 1 señala que el transporte de carga es un servicio privado de interés público por lo que le corresponderían todas las prerrogativas del caso.

Mucha sinergia entre todas estas organizaciones gremiales, miembros de COEL, enfocados en el mejoramiento y desarrollo de la hermosa y altiva Región Occidental de Panamá. FERNANDO RÍOS, PRESIDENTE DE SICACHI

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN THE LOGISTICS SECTOR, HOW TO MAKE IT A REALITY?

BY: MARÍA EUGENIA TALAVERA

The province of Chiriquí - framed in the Eastern Pacific Hydrological Region - is crossed by important watercourses that advance from the mountain peaks to the north, to flow into the Pacific Ocean. The strength of its rivers is surely also in the Chirican DNA, where the energy of convictions flows that have made important investors set their sights on the region to strengthen it with important maritime port, water, wind, renewable energy, agricultural, tourism, among many others.

COEL’s CONEXIÓN Magazine traveled to Chiriquí to receive from this inexhaustible source of good ideas and the great projects they have in their portfolio and we were able to verify that their regional strategy is clear:

In the first place, they are conceived as a region and not as a province. This fact makes them add synergies, identify possible shortcomings or disadvantages and work to visionarily build a common agenda.

Second, as a region they have understood that, in order to achieve results with the different governments with which they have to work, they must have solid and consistent representation. To do this, they strengthen their guilds, chambers, unions and associations and go hand in hand, developing strategies according to their development projects.

Third, don’t isolate yourself. They look for their peers to open up the range of opportunities and make strategic alliances with other organizations that offer know-how and with diplomatic representations that open investment, technology and training paths for them.

For Felipe V. Rodríguez, president of the Board of Directors of the Chiriquí Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, one of the keys to achieving market openings has been seeking synergies with other groups. “We have made agreements with the Panamanian Maritime Chamber and with the Panamanian Shipowners Association, for the development of the maritime port area, auxiliary maritime industries, provisioning businesses and marinas so that, in turn, other business groups such as They are land transport, tourism, agriculture, benefit from that. The Puerto Barú project, to give an example, will have an investment of 150 million for the district of David and, from CAMCHI, we have already notified our logistics sector that they must be prepared to meet the requirements that this level of project demand”, says the prominent businessman and trade unionist.

Proof that there is a regional strategic vision is the presence of the Competitiveness Center of the Western Region of Panama (CECOM-RO), which was born from the impulse of CAMCHI, APEDE and the PRO-CHIRIQUÍ FOUNDATION, organizations all made up of businessmen committed to the socio-economic development of Chiriquí in association with some international organizations.

The Center, directed by businessman Felipe Rodríguez, was born with the idea of promoting the competitive position of the Western Region of the country, it works by articulating public and private efforts, bringing companies closer together, and providing the tools that allow them to develop sustainable competitive advantages. . Today, the role of CECOMRO is essential for attracting investment, developing enterprises and new businesses, infrastructure projects, and it is an ideal platform to contribute effectively to public, horizontal, and sectoral policies that They are so important for project management.

Another executing arm of union work is provided by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives, Chiriquí Chapter, who, under the direction of Tiffany Castaño, have added negotiation factors that contribute to the execution of projects. Their efforts are directed, internally, to include among their members experts in the areas they are developing in the region, especially logistics and maritime, in such a way that they develop specific strategies for the region and, externally, promote the presence of investors to develop projects. “We have always fought to have a port in the region from where we can unload products and provide auxiliary services and not depend on Colón, and our job is to provide them with advice and give them as much information as possible. APEDE is especially dedicated to education, it is a fact that young people migrate to the city or abroad and do not return and this flight of talent affects us for the generational change in the region. So we are working to provide them with better opportunities. It is part of our Vision 2050”, affirms the Director of APEDE - CHIRIQUI CHAPTER.

The transport unions that are part of COEL and that also have an important presence in the region are the National Chamber of Freight Transport - CANATRACA and the Chiriquí Truck Drivers Union - SICACHI.

Freight transport is the foundation par excellence of the logistics chain. Every logistics operation begins and ends with the movement of cargo, whether it arrives by ship at a port, by plane at an airport or by rail at a terminal. As important as how sensitive their operation is, since they are private companies that provide a public service. In this sense, its movements oscillate between the increase in fuel prices due to external factors; the often deteriorated state of the infrastructure through which they travel day by day; the lack of supplies for their fleets, which are difficult to renew, and the lack of a training body and manager of a certification that endorses them.

As Andrés Muñoz, president of CANATRACA points out, “We carriers have gone from being informal truck-men to being businessmen who comply with paying taxes, pay social benefits and every day we improve the conditions of our workers. From our union, we strive to instill in them that we are transport managers, that we belong to the national logistics chain and that we must optimize our service by learning the management and administration of our business, because that, in addition, will help us not to increase freight ”.

The contribution of the new generations has been fundamental in achieving the sustained growth that Chirican land transport has had. Important yards with prominent fleets are supported today by closed communication systems and state-of-the-art technology. However, there are blind spots in the industry such as the lack of training in such urgent issues as road safety and education.

Fernando Ríos, president of SICACHI, adds his extensive experience to point out that there are many achievements that have been made throughout decades of management in this industry. One of the most important, he points out, is having achieved the use of an international code that allows carriers to work outside the national territory; a job achieved with Customs that allows the regulation of transit at the Central American level.

Another important aspect achieved, as a result of the negotiations of the belligerent sector, is the regulation of prices, which implies that, within a supply and demand of the markets, a common standard is established and, of course, Law 51 that regulates transport of cargo, a special law that in its Article 1 states that cargo transport is a private service of public interest for which all the prerogatives of the case would correspond to it.

A lot of synergy between all these union organizations, members of COEL, focused on the improvement and development of the beautiful and lofty Western Region of Panama.