public policy

Think tank launched

A new nonprofit think tank was launched yesterday with the hope of enriching national public policy debates. Supporting members of the Fundación para el Desarrollo Económico y Social de Panamá (Fudespa), which will devote itself to research and analysis, believe that such an organization can help the country solve its many social and other problems.

"Fudespa will not participate in partisan politics, but it will propose state policies based on scientific studies of the highest level, with a view toward meeting the great challenges that face the country," said the president of Fudespa, César Tribaldos.

The organization will develop concrete proposals that address at least two of the critical issues to be publicly debated before elections next year: public transportation and education.

Among the notable people who support the think tank’s initiatives are Raúl Gasteazoro, Guillermo Villarreal, José Chen Barría, Severo Sousa, José Ramón Varela and Teófilo Hanono.

"The private sector has a very important role to play in solving a country's socio-economic problems, and for that reason these kinds of initiatives are key to the development of our nations," commented Álvaro Guatemala, executive director of the Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social, who shared some of his experiences in El Salvador. His group has been active there for 25 years.

Participation in Fudespa is personal, not organizational or institutional, although groups wishing to support and take part in its activities may be able to do so.