According to IMF forecasts, Panama and El Salvador are the economies that in 2020 will report the worst falls in their production, while Guatemala would be the country in the region that would emerge best from this economic and health crisis.
Due to the severe economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, the economic growth projections calculated by international organizations are not at all encouraging for Central America.
For the second consecutive year, the Nicaraguan economy has grown by more than 5%, maintaining the impetus registrated for 2011, when it grew by 5.4%.
The recent history of Nicaragua's economy is marked by ups and downs, averaging annual growth figures of 4%.
In presenting the macroeconomic statistics for 2012, authorities from the Central Bank of Nicaragua highlighted a record $2.677 billion in exports which is 18.3% greater than that achieved in 2011, an increase in foreign investment, which totaled $1.102 billion , and the contribution of remittances, which totaled $1.114 billion.
In Guatemala investment is between 16% and 17% of gross domestic product, in Southeast Asia, the figure is between 25% and 35%.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that a group of experts met last week in this country to discuss how to foster Guatemala’s growth. The analysis of the issue carried out by a member of The Growth Dialogue think tank can be extrapolated to most Central American countries.
In light of the European crisis and slow growth in the U.S., the best protection for Latin American countries is macroeconomic discipline.
Although it is believed that regional banks are "solid, liquid and stable," the recommendation for Latin America to avoid or at least mitigate the inevitable effects of the economic crisis in Europe and the slow recovery of the U.S., is to keep a lid on fiscal deficit.
Before attempting to expand operations internationally businesses should explore opportunities to do so within the country.
An article in Prensalibre.com points out the advantages, especially in relation to costs, of growing a business within the country, and the specific potential of the interior of Guatemala for expanding business operations.
"Although our country is really very small in terms of geographical distance, the rates businesses with national coverage are low and opportunities are available for many businesses and entrepreneurs."
The program will focus on six sectors, renewable energy, highway and production infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, forestry and the textile industry.
The National Investment Program is supported by three branches of the Honduran state (legislative, executive, and judicial) and seeks to attract foreign investment.
"In the framework of this initiative, the Lobo Sosa government has drawn up 100 projects, which are being presented to investors, the international community and financial organizations," reports Proceso.hn.
This industry grew 6% in the first four months of the year; experts believe this to be the period of fastest growth in 2010.
A report from the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH) explained that there has been strong growth in mobile and landline calls, fueling competition between market participants, who have launched aggressive promotions and product packages.
Banks credit intermediation and its influence in the generation of goods and services on behalf of the productive system.
In a SECMCA report, Nelson Oswaldo Ramirez presents a brief analysis of the development of banking credit in comparison with the region's economic activity in the first five months of the year. In the way he studies relationships that may exist between the variables of Credit and GDP.
Access to affordable, high quality internet and mobile phone services enables development across all levels of the economy and society.
The report by the World Bank, "Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact" takes an in-depth look at how ICT impacts economic growth in developing countries. The report finds that for every 10 percentage-point increase in high speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points. It also identifies the mobile platform as the single most powerful way to reach and deliver public and private services to hundreds of millions of people in remote and rural areas across the developing world.
A study predicts that 3G will cover 30% of the Honduran telecommunications market by 2014.
A study by Pyramid Research, published by TMCnet.com, examined the current state of the 3G sector and found it covers only 2% of the telecommunications market in Honduras in 2009 and makes a 5-year projection predicting a growth of 5%.
The article indicated that the analyst and co-author of the report, Jose Magana, said: "Mobile penetration, which ended close to 87% for 2008, will advance by 109% for 2014. Currently, 3G subscriptions represent less than 2% of the total, but Pyramid anticipates that it will be more than 30% by 2014."
español
7288
