Three South American banks have shown interest in entering Panama's banking system, and in recent processes, there was even interest from a European bank, as the government prepares a strategy to attract new financial entities to the country. The Superintendent of Banks, Milton Ayón, indicated that the interest in Panama was evident in recent acquisition processes within the system. "When the finalists for Banistmo were announced, we had other finalists that were strong European banks," he said. He added that although in that process regional banks ended up presenting the most aggressive offers, the interest from international entities remains. "The system may continue to register movements of consolidation or sale of entities, although at a slower pace than in recent years," Ayón noted.
