The Inter-American Development Bank has granted a loan that will be used to finance energy efficiency projects for small and medium-sized companies.
The funds for this loan come from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and will be executed by the Development Bank of El Salvador (BANDESAL). The objective of the financing granted is to support the efforts being made by SMEs in El Salvador to reduce electricity consumption and limit greenhouse gas emissions, reported the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
In an attempt to reduce costs and improve the use of resources devoted to the subject, a bill proposes integrating into a single institution the organizations dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship.
The aim of the bill is for the current bodies DIGEPYME, INAPYME, PRONAMYPE, FODEMIPYME, PROPYME and CONICIT to be integrated into a single entity and a with single fund to maximize resources, reduce paperwork and costs.
New parameters have been defined for the classification of companies according to the number of employees and annual sales.
From a statement from the Ministry of Economy (Mineco):
The new definition was approved by Governmental Agreement 211-2015, published today. Officially, throughout the national territory, a company is a production unit that conducts processing, services or trade.
In Costa Rica insurance companies are seeking to increase sales of policies to SMEs and take advantage of a hitherto untapped market.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent 77% of businesses in the country, and therefore insurers are seeking to enter this market niche which has not been fully exploited. There are currently 5 companies that have focused on this market segment, but it is expected in 2015 one more will be added offering health insurance, and life insurance and workplace accident policies, among others.
The Nicaraguan Forestry Institute is preparing a bill which proposes giving monetary incentives to small producers with plantations of 1-10 hectares.
This measure seeks to benefit more than 3000 SMEs which sell timber produced in their plantations. Large companies fall outside this law, because they are already covered by the Tax Concentration Act.
The website for the "Business Intelligence System of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union" summarizes the regulatory framework, procedures, market information and other topics of interest to exporting SMEs.
The Ministry of Economy of El Salvador has put online a "Business Intelligence System of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union", a website which aims to present the content and the benefits of the Association Agreement in a format which is simple and accessible, so that Central American exporters and importers can receive this information and maximize opportunities.
Employers have proposed creating an institute for development representing the private sector and under the Presidency of the Republic in order to serve the needs of the sector.
The government is to make a diagnosis of the activities in the sector in order to review and amend the Law on Promotion, Creation and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises and adjust it to the needs of women, who claim there is a legal gap in the attention they receive from the state.
The Euroforum 2014 program will provide technical assistance on issues such as labeling, packing and packaging, distribution and logistics as well as the preparation of commercial offers.
From a statement issued by Eeas.europa.eu:
European Union and APEN present EUROFORUM 2014 (21/05/2014)
Managua, May 21, 2014. Promoting the continuous training of some 80 SMEs with export profiles, under the framework of the opportunities offered by the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America, is the main objective of the first edition of EUROFORUM to be held between the months of May and August this year.
The State's role is not to teach entrepreneurs how to do things, but to remove obstacles so that they can create wealth.
Editorial
It is remarkable how the role of the State has been misrepresented, especially in some countries in the region. The primary functions of governments are being carried out at half measures or not being done at all: the insecurity of people and goods is increasing, justice is neither swift nor effective, health and education services are only for those who can afford them, and public infrastructure is a far cry from the taxes that correspond to paying for it.
A promotion exercise is being carried out of the "Best Service" certification in the region in order to improve service and positioning of SMEs in tourism.
In order to improve the service and prestige of small and medium tourism enterprises in the region, the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Central America (FEDECATUR) is promoting the "Best Service" certification.
The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador and Guatemala will select 28 SMEs to participate in an exchange with U.S. companies.
From a statement by Bpeace.org:
"Considering that the creation of jobs by Salvadoran and Guatemala companies and growing businesses is one of the best ways to help El Salvador and Guatemala thrive, the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador and Guatemala City, the Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the United States Department of State (ECA) in Washington, DC, and Bpeace (Business Council for Peace), a non-profit organization based in the United States, are pleased to announce an open competition.
Lack of innovation and product differentiation prevents companies from exploiting the opportunities offered by the markets.
In an interview by Ricardo Guerrero from Elnuevodiario.com.ni with Antonio Esrawe, president and founder of Grupo Exporta, the U.S. official said there are business opportunities for SMEs in Nicaragua, however, to enter this market they must generate greater added value in their products.
On 25 and 26 November a seminar will be held to train Salvadoran SMEs in the legal regulations and requirements needed to export to the European market .
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador:
The Government of El Salvador with the European Union will hold on the 25th and 26th of November, the "CA- EU Partnership Agreement: opportunities to export" a seminar-workshop, in order to support small and medium enterprises in the Salvadoran process of internationalization and diversification of markets and products to Europe, as part of the trade pillar agreement which came into force on 1 October .
Small and medium enterprises in the region, especially in the food sector, have great opportunities to export to the European market.
This was explained by Ingrid Figueroa, director of the Regional Center for the Promotion of MSMEs (Cenpromype), an agency of the Central American Integration System (SICA).
Aspects such as quality, standards, certifications and seals of approval are elements that European consumers evaluate before acquiring goods that are produced in the region, therefore this must be made known to the producers. "For a small company that has not met the requirements of the European market it can be a complex issue," she said.
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