2011年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Guatemala_Country_Profile_2009_15页_882kb

Guatemala Country Profile 2010 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Guatemala Country Profile 2010 is a comprehensive report based on Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partner institutions. It evaluates the business environment, firm productivity, and various economic indicators across different sectors and firm sizes. The report compares Guatemala's performance with the Latin America & Caribbean region and lower middle income countries, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities for businesses in the country.

Main Topics Covered

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The report highlights the key constraints that firms face in their operations.
• Top 10 Constraints: Firms in Guatemala report various challenges, with corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and delays in obtaining licenses being particularly significant.
• Top 3 Constraints by Firm Size: Small, medium, and large firms experience different levels of obstacles, with large firms facing more delays and higher informal payment expectations.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm in Guatemala is relatively young, with an average age of 23.7 years.
• Female Participation: About 15.7% of firms have female top managers, and 44.2% have female participation in ownership.
• Ownership Structure: Most firms are privately owned (96.1%), with a small percentage being foreign private (3.9%) or government/state-owned (0.0%).

Key Indicators by Sector

3. Infrastructure

• Power Outages: On average, 3.8 power outages occur per month, with 2.8% of sales lost due to these outages.
• Water Shortages: 5.1 water shortages occur per month, with an average duration of 10.9 hours.
• Service Delays: Delays in obtaining electrical, water, and telephone connections are 17.8, 16.5, and 7.7 days respectively, which are lower than the regional average.

4. Trade

• Exporter Firms: 17.7% of firms export directly or indirectly.
• Foreign Inputs: 61.8% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Customs Delays: The average time to clear direct exports is 4.7 days, and for imports, it is 12.6 days.
• Transport Losses: 0.1% of exports are lost due to theft, and 0.4% due to breakage or spoilage.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Time Spent on Regulations: Senior management spends 10.2% of their time dealing with government regulations.
• Tax Inspections: On average, firms have 2.7 visits or meetings with tax officials.
• Permit Delays: It takes 14.0 days to obtain an import license, 41.2 days for a construction-related permit, and 41.1 days for an operating license.
• Ownership Types: 50.9% of firms are closed shareholding companies, 39.2% are sole proprietorships, and 6.5% are open shareholding companies.

6. Corruption

• Graft Index: 6.1% of firms in Guatemala reported being asked or expected to pay a bribe, compared to 6.6% in the region.
• Gift Payments: 3.9% of firms expect to give gifts during meetings with tax inspectors, and 9.9% expect to give gifts to secure a government contract.
• Construction Permits: 15.6% of firms expect to make informal payments for construction permits, which is higher than the regional average of 13.0%.
• Import Licenses: Only 0.3% of firms expect to give gifts for import licenses, indicating lower levels of corruption in this area.

7. Crime and Informality

• Court Fairness: Only 8.2% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security Costs: 1.9% of sales are spent on security, with 1.3% of sales lost due to theft, robbery, vandalism, and arson.
• Formal Registration: 90.0% of firms are formally registered when they start operations, indicating a relatively low level of informality compared to the regional average.

8. Finance

• Internal Finance: 55.0% of firms rely on internal finance for investment.
• Bank Finance: 22.4% of firms use bank finance for investment, with 39.3% relying on external financing for working capital.
• Collateral Requirements: The average value of collateral needed for a loan is 156.7% of the loan amount.
• Bank Accounts: 61.0% of firms have checking or savings accounts, with 49.1% having bank loans or lines of credit.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality Certifications: 11.9% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• Website Use: 49.9% of firms use their own website for business communication.
• Email Use: 82.0% of firms use email to communicate with clients and suppliers.
• Workforce Composition: The average number of temporary workers is 4.8, and permanent, full-time workers is 63.3.
• Female Employment: 32.3% of firms employ full-time female workers.

Key Findings and Main Views

• The business environment in Guatemala is generally less accommodating than the regional average, particularly in terms of corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure delays.
• Small firms are more vulnerable to informal payments and regulatory hurdles compared to large firms.
• The private sector dominates firm ownership, with foreign firms playing a smaller but growing role.
• Security and legal challenges are significant, especially for crime and informality, which affect firm productivity and investment.
• Access to finance remains a challenge, with a high reliance on internal funds and significant collateral requirements.
• Innovation and technology use are relatively low, though some firms have adopted modern practices like email communication and website usage.
• Female participation in management and ownership is moderate, with a slight trend of increasing participation in larger firms.

Conclusion

The Guatemala Country Profile 2010 provides a detailed snapshot of the challenges and opportunities facing firms in the country. While the private sector is the main driver of economic activity, the business environment is constrained by corruption, inefficient regulations, and infrastructure deficiencies. Improvements in these areas could significantly enhance firm productivity, attract more investment, and support sustainable economic growth.