Jose Javier Rivera, chairman of the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, voiced interest in having Puerto Rican companies vie for infrastructure project contracts in this Central American country, including the tourist sector.

Mr. Rivera said that Puerto Rico’s companies –in a joint effort with their Panamanian counterparts- could work on an array of projects such as the expansion of the Panama Canal, road building and other infrastructure programs.

Following a considerable effort conducted in past years by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Council in London, the European Union agreed to fork over $8 million to foster the development of the Caribbean’s tourist industry.

Spain-based NH Hotels –Europe’s third largest chain for business travelers- rounded up 85.6 million euros in gross benefits all through 2002 for a 4.9 percent increase compared to the year before. In the same breath, the volume of operations rose to 930.1 million euros, 22 percent more than in 2001, group officials explained in a press release sent to Spanish business authorities.

The year 2002 closed with a walloping 27 million euros (approximately the same amount in U.S. dollars) worth of earnings thanks in part to a surplus money out of six hotels the company sold last year.

The Nicaraguan Tourism Institute (INTUR) has reportedly earmarked $45 million for the country’s leisure industry this year, according to Desiderio Campos, head of the institute’s Investment Division, who added that the largest chunk of that money ($41 million in all) will be allotted by Marriot Hotels, a company that plans to build a 250-room resort in the country.

In Mr. Campos’ opinion, this is one of the booster rockets for the national economy. The sector has poured $144 million into 180 projects scattered in 13 departments (provinces) all across the nation.

Leaders of the Caribbean Basin wrapped up Saturday a two-day meeting to step up efforts for the reactivation of the region’s economy in the face of troubled times. Five of the fourteen member states of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) have slumped in the last couple of years with no GDP growth at all.

Investment, tourism and oil are already feeling the painful impact of a possible U.S. war in Iraq, said Enrique Iglesias, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) in the closing ceremony of the BID Regional Governors Meeting held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.