IDB urges greater Central American integration for economic development in Panama

Posted on 2026-02-10

The 39th Meeting of Governors of the IDB Group began in Panama with a call to deepen regional integration, strengthen public-private partnerships and promote sustainable economic growth in Central America.

The 39th Meeting of Governors of the Central American Isthmus, Panama and the Dominican Republic of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) kicked off this Tuesday in Panama City with a call for greater regional integration for economic growth, under the presence of Central American economy ministers and with a view to the bank's annual assembly.

“The region wants integration, it wants to have scale, it wants to improve overall effectiveness,” said IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn during his inaugural address.

In that respect, Goldfajn pointed out four priorities for Central America, such as "private sector-led growth," since "public resources are not enough to cover the region's development needs."

“Public-private partnerships and the mobilization of private capital reduce the tax burden, expand access to essential services, and allow for infrastructure financing without overburdening public budgets,” said the president of the IDB Group.

He thus urged “regional integration” and highlighted the “state’s capacity to execute,” since in his opinion “the quality of execution matters as much as plans, evaluations and financing,” as well as the need to promote “talents and skills.”

Prior to the IDB's annual meeting

This meeting began with an analysis of “ways to promote sustainable growth” through the bank’s regional program called 'America at the Center', with a “focus on regional integration and investment in talent, along with key joint priorities for the coming year”.

This meeting “represents an invaluable opportunity to strengthen regional collaboration and consolidate common positions with a view to the general assembly in Paraguay,” which will take place from March 11 to 14, said Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

Among the participants confirmed to EFE are the Minister of Economy of Panama, Felipe Chapman; the Ministers of Finance of Costa Rica and El Salvador, Rudolf Lücke and Jerson Posada, respectively; the head of the Finance portfolio of Guatemala, Jonathan Menkos, and of Honduras, Emilio Hernández.

“The Central American region as a whole comes to this meeting in a stronger position than it was a few years ago. Inflation has remained contained, exchange rates are stable, and the external sector is showing greater resilience,” Goldfajn noted. 

He added: “But stability is not the destination, it is the starting point. The challenge now is to transform this stability into even more growth.”