2011年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Nicaragua_Country_Profile_2010_15页_871kb

Nicaragua Country Profile 2010 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Nicaragua Country Profile 2010 is a report from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys, which assess the business environment and firm performance across various sectors. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of challenges and opportunities in Nicaragua's non-agricultural formal private economy, comparing data with regional averages and income groups.

Key Business Environment Obstacles

The business environment in Nicaragua is characterized by several challenges that impact firm operations and growth:

• Corruption: Firms often face informal payments or gifts to public officials, particularly for construction permits and government contracts. The Graft Index is high, indicating frequent requests for bribes.
• Regulatory and Licensing Delays: The time and effort required to obtain permits and licenses are significant. Large firms, in particular, face longer delays in getting construction-related permits.
• Infrastructure Deficiencies: Power outages, water shortages, and delays in obtaining infrastructure services like electricity and water connections are common, affecting productivity and sales.
• Crime and Informality: Firms report security costs and losses due to theft and vandalism. A notable portion of firms operate informally, which can distort market competition and reduce trust in legal institutions.

Average Firm Characteristics

The average firm in Nicaragua has the following features:

• Age: 24.6 years, with small firms being younger on average.
• Ownership Structure: Most firms are sole proprietorships (52.6%), followed by closed shareholding companies (15.4%) and open shareholding companies (18.8%).
• Female Participation: 32.3% of firms have female top managers, and 61.9% have female participation in ownership.
• Ownership Mix: 87.0% of firms are privately owned domestically, while 8.3% are foreign-owned.

Infrastructure Indicators

• Power Outages: 6.8 per month, with a high percentage of sales lost due to outages (18.2%).
• Water Shortages: 16.1 per month, with an average duration of 8.4 hours.
• Delays in Infrastructure Services: Significant delays in obtaining electricity, water, and telephone connections, which add to operational costs.

Trade Indicators

• Export Activity: 12.5% of firms engage in direct or indirect exports.
• Foreign Inputs: 51.1% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Customs Delays: Average of 4.7 days for direct exports and 7.9 days for imports, with some firms experiencing higher losses due to theft and breakage during export.

Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Time Spent on Regulatory Requirements: Senior management spends 20.2% of their time dealing with government regulations.
• Tax Inspections: On average, firms have 1.5 meetings with tax officials per year.
• Permit and License Delays: Construction permits take the longest (30.8 days), followed by operating licenses (17.6 days) and import licenses (12.7 days).

Corruption Indicators

• Graft Index: 7.1% of firms in Nicaragua were asked to pay bribes, higher than the regional average of 4.2%.
• Gift Payments: 4.2% of firms expect to give gifts to tax inspectors, 4.5% for government contracts, and 18.2% for construction permits.
• Informal Payments: A small percentage of firms (0.3%) expect to give gifts for import licenses, while 5.0% for operating licenses.

Crime and Informality Indicators

• Perception of Court Fairness: Only 18.0% of firms believe the court system is fair and impartial.
• Security Costs: 2.3% of sales are spent on security, with small firms having slightly lower costs.
• Informal Operations: 74.0% of firms are formally registered when they started operations, suggesting a relatively high level of formality compared to the region.

Finance Indicators

• Internal Finance for Investment: 80.4% of firms rely on internal funds.
• Bank Finance: 15.7% of firms use bank financing for investment.
• Working Capital Financing: 18.8% of firms use external financing for working capital.
• Collateral Requirements: Firms need to provide 243.2% of the loan amount as collateral.
• Bank Account Usage: 75.7% of firms have checking or savings accounts, with higher rates in medium-sized firms.

Innovation and Workforce Indicators

• Quality Certifications: 15.5% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• External Audits: 49.3% of firms have their financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• Website Usage: 36.9% of firms use their own websites.
• Email Usage: 67.7% of firms use email for communication.
• Workforce Composition: The average number of permanent workers is 42.7, with a 34.7% share of full-time female workers.

Conclusion

The report highlights the challenges faced by firms in Nicaragua, particularly in the areas of corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure shortcomings. While the business environment is relatively formal compared to the region, the high incidence of informal payments and delays in obtaining permits and licenses suggests room for improvement. Finance accessibility is limited, with a heavy reliance on internal funds and high collateral requirements. The workforce is predominantly male, with a moderate level of innovation and technology use. These factors collectively influence firm productivity, growth, and the overall economic performance of Nicaragua.