(Newsroom Panama) Panama’s public education system, rated one of the worst in the world, has drawn a warning from the International Monetary Fund.Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the director of the International Monetary Fund, in a review of Panama after recent meetings with President Ricardo Martinelli and Finance Minister Alberto Vallarino, says the government needs to spend more on education.
“It is not enough that Panama is becoming a core of world trade and an international financial center, but it needs to have a good education system as well,” said Strauss-Kahn.
He identified the poor education system as one of two major potential issues facing the country.
The other was the the danger of the economy overheating due to rapid investments in public infrastructure.
The officials said that although the infrastructure investment is a step in the right direction, it could cause a wave of inflation and the government must take a long-term approach to investing in public projects.
The government has recently been advertising its successes in stimulating the economy with a rush to complete major infrastructure projects before its term expires in 2014.