In Panama City, Mayor Juan Mizrachi is implementing a management style focused on transparency, accountability, and efficiency, driven by his background in business and technology. Since taking office, Mizrachi has prioritized reducing unnecessary expenditures, eliminating privileges for public officials, and cultivating a culture of measurable results within municipal government. Rejecting traditional political formalities, he maintains direct accessibility to residents, manages his own social media, and personally drives his own car to reinforce what he describes as an “authentic” connection with the community.

Mizrachi’s approach extends to modernizing city operations through digital innovations. Initiatives include the introduction of verification systems for municipal employees and improvements in city services such as parking management. His long-term goal is to establish institutional frameworks that function independently of any single leader. “If a system only works because one person is there, then it was never built properly,” he said.

Beyond local governance, Mizrachi envisions Panama City as a regional hub for investment and innovation, capitalizing on its dollarized economy, strategic location, and reputation for political and economic stability. With the financial services sector evolving rapidly, he emphasizes the importance of developing a fintech ecosystem to maintain Panama’s competitive edge. Projects underway aim to integrate urban development with technology and tourism, including smart-city infrastructure, expanded public spaces, and a cable-car system linking visitors to a scenic vantage point over the Panama Canal. Environmental sustainability is also central to these plans, with large-scale tree planting and initiatives to reclaim pedestrian spaces to enhance urban quality of life.

Francisco Hoyos, a prominent figure in Panama’s economic sector, highlights the country’s structural advantages such as low inflation, strong connectivity, and legal certainty as key drivers for attracting long-term private investment. Panama’s Special Economic Market (SEM) regime has already drawn nearly 190 multinational companies to establish regional headquarters, fostering knowledge transfer and creating leadership opportunities for Panamanian professionals in international firms. “The talent is here,” Hoyos remarked, noting the growth of local expertise within these companies.

Looking ahead, Panama is seeking to diversify its economy beyond traditional services by focusing on technology-intensive industries such as pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, and semiconductor manufacturing. The country’s expanding digital infrastructure, which includes data centers and submarine fiber-optic cables, supports these ambitions. Government initiatives aim to align education and workforce development with the needs of emerging sectors through collaboration among public institutions, universities, and multinational corporations, while improving digital access nationwide.

Inclusive growth remains a priority, as Panama works to extend economic benefits beyond Panama City to rural areas. Efforts to modernize agriculture with new technologies, expand infrastructure outside the capital, and enhance educational opportunities are seen as critical for sustaining long-term competitiveness and raising living standards across the country. According to Hoyos, “Our responsibility is to prepare the country so that those opportunities translate into better jobs, greater prosperity, and a higher quality of life for all Panamanians.”