Authorities in the country are seeking to address
governance criticisms linked to the Panama Papers.
For all the bromides about the financial risks of reputation
damage, the wake of the Panama Papers shows that a country's
economy can avoid significant hurt even as it is publicly
maligned.
But this has not stopped Panama's authorities from seeking
to correct legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as plan
discussions on tax evasion as money laundering. The question now is
what impact the reforms will have.
A muddied name
Even before the Panama Papers, Panama had a reputation
issue.
In 'The image of Panama and the human cost of offshore',
anthropologist Brittmarie Janson Pérez commented:
'Reading scoops about the scandal called the Panama Papers, I
was reminded of the words of Guillermo Sánchez
Borbón, published by La Prensa, on October 20 1982:
"Panamanians live as though we are embers [always in the
spotlight]. Whenever a scandal of any kind is uncovered
