PANAMA CITY - Panama’s economy grew 6.63 percent in March compared to the same period a year earlier, the government statistics office said on Monday. The monthly growth was due to expansion in the Central American country’s mining, construction and power, and storage and communications sectors, among others. The only industry that contracted during the month was manufacturing, but the office did not offer a reason. Last month, the statistics office said activity in some sectors was down due to the conclusion of infrastructure projects and decreasing activity on the Panama Canal expansion, which had helped lift economic growth to one of the highest rates in Latin America. Panama’s economy grew by 5.49 percent during the first quarter, the office added. The government expects Panama to grow between 6 percent and 7 percent this year.