Panama's Torrijos Sees No `Impediment' to U.S. Trade Accord
(Bloomberg) -- Panama's President Martin Torrijos said there was ``no impediment'' to the U.S. Congress passing a trade agreement with his country following the resignation of a political ally wanted for the murder of an American soldier.
Torrijos, in an interview with Bloomberg Television today, also said he was ``concerned'' about inflation, now at its fastest in 27 years. He said food and transport subsidies, as well as lower taxes, will shield the country's poor from the worst effects without reducing growth that may reach 8 percent to 9 percent this year.
U.S. lawmakers have held up the accord with Panama, in the works for at least four years, after the election of National Assembly President Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, who is under indictment in the U.S. for killing an American soldier in 1992. Gonzalez resigned Sept. 1, clearing a major obstacle to congress' approval of the trade agreement with the Central American nation.
``There's no longer any impediment for looking at a free trade agreement with Panama,'' Torrijos said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Joshua Goodman in Rio de Janeiro at Jgoodman19@bloomberg.net; Karla Palomo in New York at mailto:Jgoodman19@bloomberg.net
