Puerto Armuelles, Chiriquí. The docking platform of the Puerto Armuelles Multipurpose Pier in the province of Chiriquí is being redesigned to expand operational capacity, adapt it to the demands of global maritime trade, and guarantee its functionality and long-term lifespan.
This information was shared by the administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA), Luis Roquebert, and his team during a forum with local authorities and business leaders in Puerto Armuelles, where they detailed the specifics of the government’s flagship project in the Chiriquí region.
“Our goal is not simply to deliver infrastructure; it is to create job opportunities and development. We are drawing on agricultural and agro-industrial production, natural resources, tourist attractions, a privileged location near the border with Costa Rica, and, above all, a hardworking population eager for opportunities to grow in their own land,” expressed Roquebert.
As part of the project’s strategic planning, the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) requested consultancy support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the Puerto Armuelles Development Strategy. The outcome was a recommendation to transform the port into a multipurpose model, grounded in oceanographic and tidal studies.
In this phase, plans also include constructing a pipeline for palm oil exports, installing a visitor walkway, and implementing other technical adaptations linked to modernizing and commissioning this port infrastructure.
These works represent 20% of the pending construction for the project’s first stage and involve an additional investment of $10.2 million through an addendum currently awaiting approval by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
Parallel to the development of the first stage, the PMA is moving forward with a complementary economic evaluation of the Puerto Armuelles Multipurpose Terminal project, as well as an analysis of technical alternatives and conceptual designs for the next stage. As part of the Master Plan for the area’s logistical development, talks are ongoing with at least 12 companies interested in establishing operations in Puerto Armuelles.
Administrator Roquebert explained that “the interest we are receiving from potential national and international investors demonstrates that the private sector also sees the opportunities in Puerto Armuelles. Our responsibility as a government is to build the right conditions so that this interest translates into investment, economic activity, and concrete benefits for the population.”
Through these actions, the PMA is driving the transformation of a facility historically used for shallow-draft fishing vessels, progressively turning it into a multipurpose port capable of handling new commercial activities and generating investment and development opportunities for the region.
Considered one of the major investments driven by the National Government through the PMA, the project stands at 72% physical completion in its first stage. Key milestones achieved include 100% completion of the access viaduct to the new pier and approximately 80% progress on the construction of the agency’s administrative building.
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