Though in a formal statement the country said it acknowledged that "times have changed" and that it will no longer be able to remain "isolated within the world," Vice Minister of Economy Frank de Lima said that the new administration intends to demonstrate that Panama is not a fiscal paradise and will demand recognition of the domestic tax system.
“We will ask for the Member States of the OECD that respect that concept, but that we are conscious that we must make changes in one way or another," explained the vice minister. One change, he said, would be to follow the route Switzerland has taken through the negotiation of treaties for a more transparen exchange of tax information.
