After the first case of covid-19 was reported in the country, the private sector is asking authorities to close the borders partially or completely and to have people entering the nation examined and quarantined if necessary.
Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), explained that among the measures taken by the companies for this emergency is the creation of a critical department so that the companies that the staff is working in three different places in case any of them is affected, have guns to measure the temperature of customers who come to the company and not allow them to enter with fever.
In the country, the business sector expects an increase in operating costs in the coming months, as a result of the expected increase in the price of electricity in the short term.
The Nicaraguan government projects for the 2019-2020 agricultural cycle the planting of 1.5 million hectares of land, 3% more than in the previous period, a very unbelievable forecast for businessmen.
The 2019-2020 Production, Consumption and Commerce Plan, which was prepared by the government without the support of the private sector, explains that it is projected to plant 1.5 million hectares and harvest 1.4 million hectares, which would represent a 3.1% increase compared to the previous cycle.
From June 4 to 7 Managua will be hosting a meeting of AMCHAM, the American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean.
From a statement issued by ProNicaragua:
The American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua (AmCham) announced that Nicaragua will be hosting animportant meeting in which 24 American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA) will be taking part. The meeting, called "Business Future of the Americas", will bring together about 400 entrepreneurs from all over Latin America, and will be held from 4 to 7 June in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua.
Amcham and the union of exporters will give training to exporting companies on issues such as labeling and market intelligence, and coordinate trade missions made up of US companies, coming to the country.
From a statement by the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua:
The Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN) and the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) signed on Tuesday morning July 28, a Framework Partnership Agreement, which aims to search for business opportunities for members of both institutions through the promotion of actions and projects that contribute and facilitate trade and investment between Nicaragua, the United States and other countries.
The possibility that the United States will not renew tariff preferences for Nicaraguan textiles at the end of the year is forcing the industry to prepare changes to their production schedule.
Although there is a possibility that the United States will grant an extension of the benefits of the Tariff Preference Level (TPL), if they are not renewed, starting January 1st, 2015 the Nicaraguan textile sector may no longer sell to United States products made from raw materials from countries that are not part of DR-CAFTA.
The private sector is interested in investing in clean energy generation and marketing surpluses, but claims that the country lacks a legal framework to allow it.
Although funding is available to implement systems of self-generation of renewable energy in companies, and that it is obvious that these increase energy savings and competitiveness, the private sector stops short of the effort in the absence of specific rules and regulations to provide it with legal certainty for the sale of surplus energy and providing incentives for investment in such systems.
Companies are preparing for the process of tariff reduction for imported goods and services from the United States under the FTA.
Starting 2015 various products will be able to come into Nicaragua from the U.S. tax free. Employers are now preparing for the tariff reduction process of the Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Central America and Dominican Republic (DR -CAFTA).
A proposal has been made to restructure technical training programs and focus them on the needs of businesses.
Sandinista Central Workers (CST) and the Trade Union Coordinating Committee have proposed to the American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua (AMCHAM) that there be a restructure of technical education programs, adapting them to the country's needs and the requirements of companies interested in investing in the country.
The American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua has rejected the amendments to the Constitution proposed by the Nicaraguan government.
This is the result of a survey carried out by AmCham among its members in order to find out its position on the proposal to reform the constitution of Nicaragua. 75.6% of respondents asserted that the initiative will affect the business climate in the country.
Business leaders will form part of the technical committee of advisers to the Grand Canal Megaproject in Nicaragua.
Joseph Adam Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep) and Benjamin Lanzas, chief of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Construction were chosen by the board of Cosep as their representatives to the committee.
Also elected as alternates were Rodrigo Caldera of the Chamber of Industries, (Cadin) and Ricardo Meléndez of the Chamber of Urban Builders (Cadur) .
Entrepreneurs are unaware of new judicial courts especially dedicated to solving conflicts or disputes in this matter.
The entity was created a year ago and is responsible for resolving complaints and appeals related to tax and customs matters generated against institutions such as the Directorate General of Customs (DGA) and the Department of Revenue (DGI) .
Leading Nicaraguan entrepreneurs continue to support the model of economic negotiation with the government.
"Everyone here is free to move, the press is free to speak and I think from that point of view we are living in an open society," said the businessman Carlos Pellas, president of Grupo Pellas.
Entrepreneurs like Carlos Pellas and Piero Coen agree that the "understanding with the Government has brought economic growth."
At a conference organized by AMCHAM in Nicaragua personnel from the company HKND admitted to still not having data on the feasibility of the project.
Ronald McLean, spokesman for the company Wang Jing, and a specialist from the Environmental Resources Management (ERM), Alberto Vega, had no answer for the vast majority of the questions on the Grand Canal of Nicaragua project, raised by businessmen present at the conference.
AmCham Nicaragua has announced that representatives of the company HKND, concessionaire of the project, will hold a conference on August 13.
The activity, organized by the Nicaraguan American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), will include the participation of HKND Group spokesman Ronald MacLean-Abaroa and Alberto Vega, a representative from Environmental Resources Management (ERN), the firm responsible for the environmental impact studies.