Honduras: Services Park Altia opens in FebruaryWednesday, November 11, 2009 The first tower of Altia Communications Park will be opened in February. Rubén Sorto is the marketing manager of Grupo Karim, developer of the project. He explained that in spite of the political crisis, several international companies are currently negotiating to operate from the park. According to analysts Guatemala's economy is still safeTuesday, September 30, 2008 Guatemalan analysts agree that the country will not receive a direct impact from the international financial crisis. Carlos Gonzalez, an economist from the Association of Investigations and Social Studies, affirmed that he does not foresee any direct impact, however he said that this could happen if the US economy continues to slip and therefore affect Guatemalan exports, remittances and employment. Panama Contracts Conventions MarketingThursday, September 13, 2012 The Tourism Authority (ATP) has awarded a contract to the consultation company Consulting Inc. and Business Tourism Services (BTS), with the aim of reforming the present Bureau of Conventions. With the reform of the current Bureau authorities are counting on an increase in the arrival of conventions in the country and in this way increase the number of tourists. It is Not Enough to Offer Desk SpaceTuesday, October 9, 2012 When setting up an office block you need to provide ancillary services such as restaurants, banks, pharmacies, gyms, convenience stores, and even health care. The growing supply of office space requires a differentiation strategy which is not just about the quality of the buildings, but the added value that is given with accessibility to services needed for both corporate functions, and employees. Guatemala: Mining Royalties by Type of MaterialTuesday, April 16, 2013 Royalties on mineral holdings in Guatemala will be imposed on three levels related to the base value of the extracted material. According to Mario Marroquin, president of the Union of Mining and CEO of the company Montana Exploradora (main extractor of gold and silver in Guatemala), precious metals are those with the highest and there are other lower rates for base metals and non-metallic minerals. Costa Rica: Paying Taxes Takes Up 226 Hours Per YearMonday, April 15, 2013 Although there are countries in Latin American where paying taxes is an even more cumbersome task, the country needs to improve both the rules and the operation of the tax collection system. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the country is located at No. 125 in the world rankings on how easy, or difficult, it is to pay taxes. El Salvador Not Tapping Geothermal PotentialWednesday, October 2, 2013 Only 9.25% of the potential to generate geothermal energy is being used and neither are conditions for generating solar photovoltaics being taken advantage of. A World Bank report which incorporates the study "The path to the future for renewable energy in Central America", conducted by the INCAE Business School and the Worldwatch Institute (WWI), explains that the country could have between 362 and 2,210 megawatts of capacity installed, however only has 204.4 MW. Less Paperwork to Open a Business in Costa RicaThursday, October 31, 2013 The 12 steps and 60 days that it took to start a business a year ago, have now been reduced to 9 steps that can be done within 24 days. Nacion.com reports: "This improvement in opening a business is part of the actions undertaken by the Government to facilitate procedures and which has earned the country a jump of seven places in the ranks of the Doing Business 2014 report ...". Starting Up a Business in Nicaragua Takes 36 DaysWednesday, November 20, 2013 It is the longest amount of time in the entire Central American region for formalizing a new business. Laprensa.com.ni reports: "While in Panama it takes five days to open a business, in the case of Nicaragua 36 days are needed, the longest in all of Central America, according to the Doing Business Report 2014, by the World Bank (WB) ... ". Banking Perspectives in GuatemalaTuesday, December 3, 2013 Stability and positive profitability levels are projected by the Central Bank for 2014. The outlook for banking is stable and with a tendency towards moderate growth. "Profitability will remain positive," said Edgar Barquín, president of the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat). Guatemala's Economy: 2019 Would Be BetterFriday, January 18, 2019 The growth of family remittances, the recovery of credit to the private sector and the upturn in investment in capital goods would determine a better economic performance this year. In a forum organized by the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala, representatives of the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat) and Central American Business Intelligence (CABI), agreed that this year the country's economy could register a better performance than in 2018. Industrial Activity Is StagnatingThursday, February 14, 2019 Lack of legal certainty, lack of investment and excessive bureaucracy are some of the factors influencing industrial activity in Guatemala not to advance in 2018. The Guatemalan union of the sector reported that the Industrial Activity Index (IAIG) registered a 2% decrease between December 2017 and November 2018, going from 145.67 to 142.70. Guatemala: Industrial Activity Begins 2019 DownwardFriday, May 31, 2019 The economic slowdown in the U.S., the main trading partner, partially explains the 6% year-on-year drop in the Industrial Activity Index reported during the first quarter of the year. According to the Industrial Activity Index (IAIG) compiled by Central American Business Intelligence (CABI), the productivity of the 14 industrial sectors have been affected by the increase in the price of gasoline, the new fall in commodity prices, the stagnation of national investment and smuggling. Industrial Activity Still in the Red NumbersThursday, October 10, 2019 From January to June in Guatemala, the Industrial Activity Index registered a 2% drop regarding the same period of 2018, which is explained by the drop of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and mining. According to the Industrial Activity Index (IAIG) developed by Central American Business Intelligence (CABI), 85% of the negative result of the index is related to macroeconomic aspects, that is, influenced by what happens with the country's economy, and the remaining 15% is determined by industry issues. Industry: Forecast for GuatemalaThursday, August 13, 2020 After the industrial activity registered in May one of the lowest levels of the last years, it is expected that the sector will close 2020 in negative variations, but more moderate than those reported in the first half of the year. The Index of Economic Activity of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala, which is calculated by Central American Business Intelligence (Cabi), states that during May and in the context of the economic crisis resulting from the outbreak of covid-19, fell by about 10% when compared to the same period in 2019. |
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