In Guatemala were published in the Diario de Centroamerica the sanctions of the laws for the Simplification of Administrative Requirements and Procedures and Free Zones, regulatory frameworks that aim to encourage investments and job creation.
In the June 1, 2021 edition of the Diario de Centroamerica, the texts of Decree 5-2021, which corresponds to the Law for the Simplification of Administrative Requirements and Procedures, and Decree 6-2021, which refers to the Free Trade Zones Law, were included. See complete publication.
In Guatemala, President Alejandro Giammattei decided to veto the reforms to the Contracting Law and announced that the bill will be returned to Congress with the respective observations.
According to Giammattei, the observations consist in the fact that the reforms to the Contracting Law should only apply to the purchases made by the Municipalities and not to the bids made by the institutions of the Executive.
In Guatemala, the Chambers of Industry, Construction, Commerce and Agriculture agree that the reforms to the State Contracting Law constitute a step backwards in terms of transparency and open the door to greater opacity in public spending.
In April 2021, the deputies approved the amendments to Decree 57-92, which among other things allow for an increase in the amounts of direct and low value purchases.
In Guatemala, the Congress of the Republic approved the amendments to Decree 57-92, which allow for an increase in the amounts of direct and low value purchases.
With the favorable vote of 82 congressmen, the Plenary of the Congress approved this Wednesday night, April 28, Decree 4-2021, reforms to the Law of State Contracting, informed the Legislative Body.
For the possible commission of the crime of Tax Fraud, the Superintendence of Tax Administration intervened the commercial company J.I. Cohen.
The intervention was authorized by the Pluripersonal Court of First Criminal Instance in Tax and Customs Matters of the Municipality and Department of Guatemala, informed the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT).
Arguing that the measures applied by the government directly harm employees and owners of restaurants and bars, a group of businessmen in Guatemala filed a legal action in the Constitutional Court.
Restrictions to productive activity have already been applied for days, since with the purpose of promoting actions aimed at interrupting the epidemiological chain of the Covid-19 disease, on April 17 Ministerial Agreement 87-2021 was published in the Diario de Centroamerica, a regulatory framework that requires a 25% reduction in the capacity of shopping centers, shopping malls, convenience stores and restaurants.
Empresa Tomza Guatemala S.A. reported that in Nicaragua the government of President Daniel Ortega illegally expropriated and confiscated the company's assets, which together amount to $4 million in investments.
The expropriation process took several years. Tomza executives explained that in 2015 they were granted the permits for the construction of a property located in the municipality of Tipitapa, department of Managua.
Chang y Compania and Mag Alcoholes, are two companies that during March were audited by local authorities, after the detection of the possible crime of tax and customs fraud.
Representatives of the Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT) informed that on March 10, the Juzgado Pluripersonal de Primera Instancia Penal en Materia Tributaria y Aduanera ("Pluripersonal Court of First Criminal Instance in Tax and Customs Matters") ordered the intervention of the company Mag Alcoholes, and on March 22, the Juzgado Quinto de Primera Instancia Penal ("Fifth Court of First Criminal Instance") ordered the intervention of the warehouse Chang y Compania.
A few weeks before the new magistrates of the Constitutional Court take office in Guatemala, the business sector is asking that the new members of the highest court advocate for a real rule of law and provide legal certainty to investments.
In recent years, Guatemala's Constitutional Court (CC) has gained prominence in the country's economic sphere, as its rulings have affected different investments that were already operating locally.
The Congress approved by articles and final wording the Leasing Law, a legal framework that establishes mechanisms for people to lease with option to purchase.
With 101 votes in favor, the Plenary of the Congress of the Republic approved Decree 2-2021, Leasing Law, which regulates leasing with option to purchase in the Guatemalan legislation, informed the legislative body.
Two years after the Law to Strengthen Entrepreneurship came into force in Guatemala, only 40 companies have been registered under the figure of Entrepreneurship Companies, a situation that is partly explained by the lack of incentives provided by the legal framework.
Arguing that the economic and social effects of the covid-19 pandemic in the country have been considerable, the local authorities decided that during 2021 the minimum wage will not be increased.
In no case will workers be able to have a salary lower than that set in Governmental Agreement 250-2020, which goes into effect as of January 1, 2021, the statement from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security points out.
Since the pilot plan to test the efficiency of ethanol use in gasoline in Guatemala has yielded the first positive results, the authorities plan to present a bill to regulate its use in the first quarter of 2021.
Following the reform of government agreement 17-2020, the entry into force of the regulation requiring passenger and cargo transport units to take out civil liability insurance was delayed for one year in Guatemala.
Arguing that this is misleading advertising, the Directorate of Consumer Services has sanctioned businesses that offer "covid-19 free zones" in the country's capital.
According to Guatemalan authorities, five establishments have already been sanctioned, since these businesses have offered free covid-19 tests or masks that ensure total protection against infection, which is classified as misleading advertising.