Government and municipal entities can leverage location intelligence to optimize strategic planning, improve the quality of public services and optimize their budgets.
What type of solutions does location intelligence provide to governments
Analytics through big data management techniques allows governments to understand the needs of their citizens, combat fraud, minimize system errors and improve operations, reducing costs and improving the services of any government entity.
Foot traffic analytics through geospatial data and Big Data enables governments and public sector organizations to deliver more efficient and secure services, as well as respond more quickly and accurately to the needs of customers and citizens.
Since El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama have set a 72-hour time limit for freight drivers operating in the region, hundreds of units have decided to halt their operations as a measure of pressure.
Due to the health crisis resulting from the covid-19 outbreak, Salvadoran, Costa Rican and Panamanian authorities decided that the drivers of the cargo transport units entering the country will have only 72 hours to make the formalities at the borders, and to unload and reload the goods from the vehicles.
The plan to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican products entering the U.S. would open up opportunities for Central American countries to increase their sales to the U.S., but there are fears that similar measures could be taken against the region.
On May 30, President Trump announced on his Twitter account that he plans to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican products entering the U.S.
After Nicaraguan authorities imposed in their customs a $50 payment to each cargo vehicle transiting through their territory, Costa Rica requested a meeting to review the issue.
On March 15 of this year, Nicaraguan authorities began to collect a customs tax on the transportation of cargo in transit or with final destination in the country, which consists of the payment of $50 for each transport unit of goods that passes through land customs.
Central American businessmen assure that the customs tax on the transport of cargo in transit or with final destination that the Nicaraguan government wants to impose "threatens the instruments of Central American integration, and becomes an obstacle to intraregional trade.
Weeks ago it was reported that from March 15 would begin to collect the customs tax, however, the authorities did not specify what amount will be required from carriers.
The complex economic and political situation that has affected Nicaragua since April continues to affect Central America, where exporters report losses of $45 million.
In the past months, cargo transport faced difficulties in moving goods along Nicaragua's highways due to demonstrators' blockades and insecurity, seriously affecting Central American companies.
Using a web platform with key information from all of the markets in the region and the Dominican Republic, Central American stock exchanges propose reviving the plan to create a truly integrated regional market.
Once again authorities at stock exchanges in Central American countries and the Dominican Republic have put back on the table the plan to integrate the stock markets in each each country into a single regional one.
Due to the crisis affecting Nicaragua and paralysis of construction in Panama between April and May, the IMF has reduced the expectation of economic growth for the Central American region from 4% to 3.3%.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut growth forecasts for the Central American economy, due to the uncertainty caused by the situation in Nicaragua and its effect on the region's economic activity, and the impact of the construction strike in Panama, which has halted works on 260 projects nationwide for the last 30 days.
In order to minimize some of the impact that the Nicaraguan crisis has had on intraregional trade, the governments of Costa Rica and El Salvador have announced that they are now in a position to start ferry operations.
After unsuccessfully trying to implement this maritime cargo transport option, in May of last year the Spanish shipping company Odiel decided to end the negotiation process to operate the ferry, due to a disagreement over the setting of tariffs that would have to be charged for the service. Since then, the project has been forgotten.
With the paralyzation of the cargo transport and the retention of about 6 thousand units in Nicaragua, the region is starting to feel the effects of a crisis with no potential solution in the short term.
The crisis in Nicaragua has created high costs in all countries in the region, as according to the latest report it is estimated that at least some 6,000 heavy cargo vehicles are trapped due to the violence and blockades that have intensified in the last weeks.
A key factor in economies´competitiveness is the unrestricted movement of the available human and material resources, and this is where the customs integration of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador falls very short.
EDITORIAL
Jorge Cobas González Director of CentralAmericaData.COM
It has been estimated that $200 million need to be invested in Central American countries to strengthen the transmission capacity of the regional electricity market.
A study prepared at the request of the Wholesale Market Manager of Guatemala (AMM) details that for the regional market to operate in a comprehensive way, countries must invest more in order to improve transmission capacity.According to Edgar Navarro, president of the AMM, this investment should be concentrated in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Trade in goods in the region is showing signs of recovery with an increase in exports to third-party trading partners and an increase in intraregional imports.
From the Trade Monitor report by the Economic Secretariat for Central American Integration (SIECA):
Central America, July 10, 2017.Trade in goods in Central America shows signs of recovery with an increase in exports to third-party trading partners and an increase in intraregional imports, according to figures from the most recent Central American Trade Monitor for the first quarter of 2017.The main results derived from the Monitor are as follows:
Finally, the Legislative Assembly has approved the IDB loan to improve infrastructure at the border posts of Peñas Blancas, Paso Canoas, Las Tablillas and Sixaola.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade:
IDB approves $100 million loan to improve border infrastructure.
Project will benefit border posts in Peñas Blancas, Paso Canoas, Las Tablillas and Sixaola.