Bud
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Posts posted by Bud
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Drafting of new regulations by the Varela administration regarding private tourism investment in protected areas is continuing. This initiative aims to exploit protected areas in order to develop sustainable and ecological tourism.
I suspect I won't see anything of this in my lifetime.
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Bad news for the hotel industry in Panama continues. See http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Hotel_Occupancy_Rates_Down.
QuotePanama: Hotel Occupancy Mantains Downtrend
The increase in the average number of days that tourists stayed in the country was not enough to offset the drop in hotel occupancy, which fell to 50% in the first quarter of this year.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
The difficulties that hotel sector is facing due to the lack of international promotion of the country as a tourist destination and the oversupply of rooms registered in the country explains the downward trend which is still being seen in hotel occupancy rates.
It is hoped that the international promotion which the Tourism Authority will start once it has completed the tender process will help improve the sector's performance.
The occupancy rate dropped to 50% in the during the first quarter of 2016, which is a reduction of 9% compared to the same period in 2015.
Figures from the General Comptroller's Office indicate that in March 2016 there were 10,452 hotel rooms, similar to the same period in 2015, when 10,422 were recorded.
The daily average of overnight stays in the first quarter of 2016 was 11.3, higher than the 9.8 registered in the same period in 2015.
See figures from the Office of the Comptroller General (In Spanish). -
The more general topic of the sharing of tax information among countries continues to expand. Here is another article about Panama agreeing to comply with OECD standards about what to share, how to share, and with whom to share tax information.
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And now at about 1:15PM on Friday afternoon, the following notice:
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Twin Wolf is correct. This appears to be the entire ning.com service, not specific to boquete.ning.com.
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1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:
If I'm not mistaken the bond issue was postponed, not cancelled. The original story from LaPrensa is above.
You were correct, not mistaken. The initial reports did say postponed. But then subsequent reports clearly said cancelled.
However, this is an ongoing story. Citigroup has apparently revived the bond transactions, and they are moving forward again as of late yesterday. Here is one report to that effect:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/citigroup-revives-bond-panamas-tocumen-210504213.html
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There is more "fallout" from this Waked case. A very large bond issue for expansion of Tocumen Airport has been now been cancelled. For more details, see http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Tocumen_Bonds_Sale_Canceled_Because_of_Waked_Case.
Opinion here: It seems that this case and the Panama Papers are taking a huge toll on business activity and economic stability in Panama. Once begun, these topics take a loooooonnnnnng time to smooth out.
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October is the height of the rainy season here in Boquete, and my experience is that it is a low tourist time in Boquete. Dia de La Raza (Day of the Race) is not a national holiday in Panama. (BTW, national holidays are posted on the calendar here on CL.) I have not done an exhaustive study of the lodging occupancy rates in October, but would be really surprised if there were a shortage of rooms during October.
For those interested in reading a bit more about Dia de La Raza, you may wish to visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day for an overview.
It is nice to read that some people do a fairly thorough due-diligence prior to transplanting themselves. My recommendation is to spend a minimum of six months here prior to making a big decision. But I also admit that I did the exact opposite. My decision was made literally on the same day that I saw Boquete for the first time back in 2001.
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3 hours ago, Roger B said:
Keith
You never stop to surprise me!!!!
I do like when you post useful information for the members of the site. You are my chiricano-canadiense amigo.
I agree with you. Keith is well informed and generous with the sharing of that information.
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Two Sailors,
When we read this posting we were both saddened greatly. Our hearts go out to you.
There is a lesson here that all pet owners/pet lovers should learn. Be prepared. In fact, that goes for being prepared for humans as well, such as the benadryl, and perhaps epi-pens, etc. Nothing beats being prepared during a crisis. We are working on our emergency kit now.
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On 5/7/2016 at 9:07 PM, Keith Woolford said:
What are you folks going to do when Windows 7 is no longer supported?
Windows 10 is working fine for me, I've had zero problems with it.
Keith, it is good to read that Win 10 is working well for you. I have heard of a few others who also have no problems with Win 10. It seems to be a better outcome if the Win 10 is a fresh install rather than an upgrade from Win 7 or Win 8. Was yours an upgrade or a fresh start?
I had the exact opposite result than you had. Win 10 got "accidentally" loaded on one of my several Win 7 machines (as an upgrade), and it was a total disaster. It had nothing to do with the motherboard issue discussed herein, but simply incompatibilities with applications. I decided to give Win 10 a "fair shake" test and so loaded it intentionally on a different machine, but again as an upgrade from Win 7. Same result. All of my machines are now back to Win 7 (Ultimate, 64 bit).
This is yet a different issue with Win 10 and why some (many?) are opposed to it. It has to do with privacy. I admit up front that there are two sides to this privacy coin. However, I sit clearly in the "its my data and keep your fingers off of it unless I want you to access it" camp. Here are just a few web links to comments about the privacy issues:
- The real price of Windows 10 is your privacy
- Windows 10 violates your privacy by default, here's how you can protect yourself
- Windows 10: Microsoft under attack over privacy
- The Windows 10 privacy issues you should know about
If asked, I recommend delaying the upgrade to Win 10. That is just my opinion, and worth exactly what someone has paid me for it.
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In another topic I recently posted the ACODECO pamphlet about their service and Ley 6. You may wish to download it and keep a copy with you.
Here is the link to that posting: http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/2089-jubilado-discounts/?do=findComment&comment=6448
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On April 5, 2016 at 9:53 AM, WryAwry said:
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Then, the metaphorical meteor hit and the Earth was utterly destroyed in the wink of an eye.
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I'm bouncing your line of thought up to a more global level as opposed to our little region of the world; we are just a subset of "a kinder, gentler [global] online community". My opinion here: Not sure I would have used the word destroyed. Perhaps changed for the worse is more on target to my way of thinking. Hopefully this is only a cyclical thing, and tranquility will ultimately show its face again. If so, probably not in my lifetime.
Just curious if you can/might elaborate a bit on what caused the meteor, and why it happened? And where is this "new world" of frustration, angst, confrontation, etc., going? At times I think it is because of the massive communication (I use that word only because I don't have a better one) capability -- especially that that is anonymous or lacking in accountability for what is said -- that has been brought about by the Internet and the resulting social media. At times I see it as 'unsocial media.' Truth and responsibility seem to have been tossed out the window.
I do not see the ugliness or lack of civility here in Panama to the same degree as in the so-called first world countries.
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8 hours ago, Marcela said:
Hi Wryawry
Even though I can't even pronounce your name, I kind of like the way you write, although I have to look up every other word on the thesaurus to understand you. Maybe I will choose you to write the authorized biography of my life. It's a good one!
Thanks for giving me "permission" to say that I (actually we, meaning Marcelyn and myself) have difficulty with WryAwry's name. We just call him 'Wirey'. He seems to be a deep thinker and a deep writer. Like you, I frequently have to study his words to figure out what I think he really is saying. At times, I do succeed in getting his message, and at times I don't succeed. But I keep trying. There is value there.
For 'Wirey': Marcelyn and I have a personal policy of not responding to praise about CL, other than, where warranted, to say thank you. [On the other hand, we always try to resolve/mitigate complaints and issues.] But I will say thank you for your positive feedback.
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I apparently missed seeing this topic when originally posted. Thanks to Marcela for commenting on it so that popped back up for me. And thanks to Judy for posting the link. Great video, if for no other reason than to see the look of disbelief on Simon's face. And sorry that Marcela is in bed with pain.
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It seems to me that the 2016 rainy season has indeed begun.
Mother Nature is expressing herself. Yesterday morning at 7:22am was a 3.6 temblor. After our housekeeper arrived, we had a conversation about the difference between un temblor (a tremor) and un terremoto (earthquake); she said it is a matter of magnitude/intensity and duration, a subjective call more often than not. And then late yesterday, while we were on the phone with the USA, there was one blast of thunder so strong that our house shook violently. The lightning was not seen, unusual given its close proximity, but the thunder certainly was heard (deafening) and felt. The other party on the phone said "my gosh, what was that explosion?". That was followed by rain so hard that we could not see the fence, which is just scant meters from the house. And here it is nearly 4:00am and rain, not really heavy, but rain. In one way, this is a thing of beauty.
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Panama and Colombia are reported to have signed a treaty regarding the sharing of tax information between the two countries. According to the Central America Data website, "The treaty to avoid double taxation will come into force in 2018 and includes a clause for exchanging tax information upon request, in accordance with OECD standards."
For the details, go to: http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Colombia_and_Panama_Announce_Tax_Information_Agreement
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8 hours ago, Esther said:
So, what are these "better things on which to spend one's time", Bud?
Anything but counting ants.
32 minutes ago, MarkoBoquete said:Betty, I apologize for my snippy comment about the futility of fighting ants. My gardener insists that they can be defeated by pouring gasoline into their entrances and setting them on fire, which is equally unpleasant an ineffective. Your solution sounds a lot more pleasant and I'll give it a try.
Mark, I too apologize for what Marcelyn told me could be interpreted as my snippy response to your above posting about the 500 million years. Being snippy was not my intention. Please forgive me.
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Just sharing here. My initial reaction to the protest was less than nice. Then I did some moderately deep research because of a comment made to me in private by one CL member.
Yes, there is fringe loonie component to some of the opposition literature, but I found what appears to me to be legitimate scientific documentation about the risks to humans (living humans, that is) based on the incineration of toxic elements found in the human body. One for instance is that as little as one gram of mercury (such as that contained in dental fillings, for instance) can be toxic when raised to the temperatures used in the cremation process. And it is not uncommon for some people to have as much as four grams of mercury in their body.
These issues/risks, meaning toxic fumes, can be controlled or mitigated by proper design, filtering, and operating procedures. That would, of course, raise the costs involved, both in the building of the infrastructure as well as in the operation of a crematorium. It then could (should?) be a business decision as to economic viability.
The above comments ignore the emotional elements and the cosmetic elements of this topic.
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Wow, to Mark and Keith. Just goes to show me how little I know about the world in which I live.
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3 minutes ago, MarkoBoquete said:
They have simply moved to a new location. The weight of ants in the world exceeds the weight of humans by a factor of 100 and they have been around for 500 million years. Humans, at best 1 million.. To them, you are a minor pest, easily avoided.
Who and why would anyone study ants to the point of determining their collective weight as compared to humans. Not doubting you, but thinking that there are better things on which to spend one's time.
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In a recent visit with Marianella Carrizo Madrigal, Dr. Carrizo's daughter, we now understand that the mortal remains have been cremated, and that memorial services will be limited to immediate family members only.
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2 hours ago, Roger B said:
People. One additional reason to practice and learn your spanish. Know your rights. This law is for all legal residents of the Republic of Panama. You as a foreign citizen but with legal residence in Panama can enjoy with not problem of the benefits of this law. Look at the list of all the services and goods you could have a discount. Also there is preferential treatment. As a jubilado you have preference for the attention at any public and private office. Remember that discount is personal and will be given to you only. For all what you consume and use.
Roger,
You bring up a very important point. The jubilado discount is for persons who qualify for the discount. Part of that qualification is to be a legal resident in Panama as well as jubilado status. In particular, note the words on the bottom left of the second page as shown above, which identifies the identity documents necessary to establish one's status.
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While at ACODECO in David today taking care of some business, I picked up a brochure about the application of Ley 6, which is the law about jubilado discounts. I am posting it here as pictures and also as a downloadable PDF.
ACODECO Ley 6 Jubilados Pensionados y Tercera Edad - 20160427.pdf
Superintendency of Banks (SBP) versus Balboa Bank and Trust
in Banking, Currency, Safety Deposit Boxes, etc.
Posted
I struggled with this posting for several reasons. "Panama banks lose US correspondent accounts" is the title of an online banking article of the CaribbeanNewsNow.com website (click on that name to see the online version of the article). If this is in fact true, then it seems to be a really big deal for just about everyone in Panama.
Here is the article itself: