Between 2010 and 2014 internet access in households in the metropolitan urban area in the country increased from 18.3% to 27%.
In 2010, it was reported that in rural areas of Guatemala only 1.4% of households had internet access, a figure that hasn't changed to date. Nationally, 12.8% of the population has access to the internet.
The manager of the National Institute of Statistics, Ruben Narciso, told Estrategiaynegocios.net that "...
In the first half of the year remittances reached $1.93 billion, $203 million less than the first half of 2008.
According to monthly stats published by the Banco de Guatemala (Banguat), remittances summed $349 in June, the highest monthly figure since October 2008.
Ruben Darío Narciso, consultant for the Asociation of Economic and Social Investigations (Asies, acronym in Spanish), was quoted by Elperiodico.com.gt: "A reduction in remittances has negative effects, causing a reduction on the purchasing power of households that receive the money, and increasing precaution when spending in goods and services".
Six out of ten companies surveyed have reduced their production due to the economic crisis.
According to the XLI Business Survey conducted by the Association of Research and Social Studies (Asies), businesses' productive outputs are at their lowest levels in the last 10 years.
Lorena Álvarez writes on the website Elperiodico.com.gt: “The businesses surveyed report a reduction in their revenues, a situation that primarily affects factories and companies that provide services to households due to families reducing their expenses.”
Export revenues grew by 2.8% and tourism by 4.3%, but remittances fell by 9.6%.
The statistics published by the Bank of Guatemala and noted in sigloxxi.com, referred to the period between January 1 and March 5.
The drop in remittances is highlighted: “In February of this year, $281.9 million entered the country from family remittances, an amount $36.4 million less than what was captured during the same month in 2008, a decrease of 11.4%.
56% of the 893 companies that were surveyed said that they had reduced their production in October, compared to the same month last year.
This is according the results of the 39th Business Survey carried out by the Association for Investigation and Social Studies (Asies).
Ruben Narciso presented the study and also reported that only 24% indicated that they had increased productivity, resulting in a negative opinion balance of -32%, the lowest in the last 6 years.
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