Panama Banking Flourishes
Panama Banking Flourishes
Panama is a center for international banking. Some people believe there are over 200 banks in Panama, but the truth is there are only seventy five. In 1998, the bank sectoSU0-122r was modernized and the regulatory function of the government enhanced. Panama has ties to Latin America and G7 countries, making it a serious player on the world financial scene.
There are two government owned banks. As of 2009, the National Bank of Panama held deposits totaling $15 billion U.S. dollars. The second nationally owned bank is Caja de Ahorros with total deposits of $1 billion U.S. currency.
In all, banking legislation has established three types of operations:
• The two government owned banks.
• 41 banks that operate full service with a general license. These banks compete for domestic deposits and loans.
• 36 banks with an International License, or “Offshore” banks, are licensed to do business all over the world, but not Panama.
National Bank of Panama
There is concern that there is no real National Bank of Panama, or, more to the point, that it is really the Federal Reserve of the United States, as one observer puts it, since the American dollar is the medium of currency here. Actually, Banco Nacional de Panama is the official National Bank of Panama and is backed by the Panamanian government. It can be difficult to deal with because it insists on due diligence in its dealing with customers. A transaction in excess of $10,000 must be accompanied by documentation, for instance, invoices or contracts. This process of due diligence is attended to with vigilance and vigor.
Banco Nacional de Panama is useful primarily for immigration reasons. Secondly, people carrying a lot of money, such as someone arriving at Panama Tocumen International Airport, may wish to use the branch of National ICDL-ITBank Of Panama while still in the protected area of the airport to deposit cash. Robberies, such as car hijackings, are all too common among people who carry large amounts of money. As a rule, the bank does not accept clients carrying large amounts of money.
Processing your request, Please wait....
