Grupo Unidos por el Canal
thing, but even that can’t go ahead if the supply of the other elements is not done in good time.” MRP, design and project planning, financial control, HR and the like are controlled by a combination of proprietary programs like Primavera and software developed in-house by GUPC and by the companies constituting the joint venture. The expansion program is important to Panama not only because of the income it will generate from traffic; it is a huge opportunity for development, and not least for raising the education and skills level of its population. GUPC is currently employing 2,000 workers, but at the end of 2010 it will be increasing this to 7,000. The company is working with the Ministry of Labor and with the National Vocational Training Institute for Human Development (INADEH) to recruit the best graduates from universities and colleges, offer them jobs on the project, and train them. “At the beginning
we have relatively high numbers of foreign experts coming in to set up the facilities, but these guys are just meant to come in and train the locals. Knowledge transfer is one of the collateral benefits of the project.” The experience will create a pool of qualified and employable people ready to use their skills and expertise in Panama. Once the project is complete, it is the policy of companies like Sacyr Vallehermoso and Impregilo to employ some of them in its operations around the world. In the meantime there’s a great deal of infrastructure work to be done in this fast-developing country, paid for by the income it will receive from the Canal. Estimated at $2 billion this year, the Canal contributes about 20 percent to Panama’s GDP. If traffic increases as expected with the estimated rise in toll rates as sea trade picks up after the recession, that figure could increase significantly. www.acp.gob.pa/eng/index.html
www.pancanal.com/eng/pr/press-releases/2009/07/15/pr343.html
JUNE 10 www.bus-ex.com 153