The Government of Panama's Ministries of Commerce and Industry (MICI) and Agricultural Development (MIDA), along with Chiquita Panama LLC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the sustainable reactivation of the banana industry in Bocas del Toro.
The agreement aims to enhance modernization, sustainability, and competitiveness of the banana sector, with a focus on employment, workers' welfare, community development, and regional growth.
The main commitments include:
- Initially, hiring approximately 3,000 workers for agricultural cleaning and recovery work, followed by the hiring of an additional estimated 2,000 workers for harvesting and packing, prioritizing local labor.
- Upgrading facilities and processes to meet international standards for workplace safety, food safety, and agricultural sustainability.
- Implementing decent employment and community development programs.
- Fostering public-private collaboration to promote innovation, research, and technical training within the banana value chain.
- Progressive reactivation of banana production in Bocas del Toro will be carried out through existing productive collaboration methods provided by law. Chiquita Panama LLC will oversee technical supervision, quality control, transportation, export, and marketing, following existing contracts with the State.
Meanwhile, the Panamanian government will continue to strengthen legal security, streamline permit and authorization processes, create a supportive environment for investment, and implement social support and workforce reconversion programs for workers.
This agreement will initially be active for 24 months and will establish a Technical Monitoring Committee to oversee its implementation. Its main goal is to support the restart of productive and labor activities through new investments in a vital sector for the province.
According to established procedures, the Memorandum of Understanding will be submitted to the Comptroller General of the Republic for approval and subsequent publication.
For more information:
Government of Panama
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
https://mici.gob.pa