Delegates from the British Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Construction and the CoST initiative from Guatemala participated in a regional event in Panama entitled “Galvanising the private sector in addressing public infrastructure challenges in Latin America” on 14-15 November.

British Ambassador to Panama, James Dauris, welcomed the Guatemalan delegation alongside with representatives from Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Dominican Republic. Participants were able to strengthen regional ties and build a roadmap for collaboration between the public and private sectors. In addition, the workshop provided a basis for the development of strategic reforms and concrete actions that promote transparency and efficiency in infrastructure investment.

The regional project has been delivered by CoST, the global Infrastructure Transparency Initiative, which will continue working alongside private sector representatives to discuss current challenges of public infrastructure procurement and delivery and explore how to close data gaps for more informed decision-making.

The project comes in line with UK priorities in Latin America aimed at supporting countries in building their long-term resilience to corruption and fostering sustainable development.  The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom and the United States’ State Department, sponsored the event.