2011年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Paraguay_Country_Profile_2010_15页_857kb

Paraguay Country Profile 2010 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Paraguay Country Profile 2010 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partner IFC (International Finance Corporation). These surveys assess the business environment and firm productivity in non-agricultural formal private sectors across various countries. The document provides a comprehensive analysis of several key areas affecting business operations in Paraguay, including corruption, regulations, taxes, business licensing, infrastructure, trade, crime, informality, finance, and innovation and workforce.

Main Topics and Key Findings

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The business environment in Paraguay is perceived to have significant obstacles, with firms facing challenges in regulations, corruption, and infrastructure.
• The Graft Index (a composite corruption measure) stands at 18.5% for Paraguay, higher than the regional average of 12.3% and lower middle income group average of 15.8%.
• Corruption is a major concern, with firms often expected to make informal payments to secure permits and contracts. For example:
  • 35.5% of firms expect to give gifts to get a construction permit.
  • 21.7% expect to give gifts to secure a government contract.
  • 32.0% expect to give gifts to obtain an operating license.
• Crime also affects firms, with 1.3% of sales lost due to theft, robbery, vandalism, or arson. Security costs are 1.4% of sales, indicating a notable burden on firms.
• Informality is widespread, with 98.7% of firms formally registered when they started operations, suggesting that informality is not a major issue in terms of registration, but still affects other aspects.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm in Paraguay has been in operation for 20.6 years, with small firms averaging 17.4 years and large firms averaging 25.8 years.
• Female participation in top management is 22.8%, with small firms having the highest share at 40.7%.
• Female ownership is more common, with 51.6% of firms having female participation in ownership, compared to 45.4% for the region and 37.6% for the lower middle income group.
• Ownership structure is dominated by closed shareholding companies at 86.7%, followed by private domestic firms at 91.9% and private foreign firms at 7.8%.

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity supply is a major issue, with 3.2 power outages per month and 1.4% of sales lost due to outages.
• Water shortages occur 1.4 times per month, with 1.5 hours of average shortage per incident.
• Delays in obtaining infrastructure services are significant:
  • 23.2 days for an electrical connection.
  • 47.4 days for a water connection.
  • 26.4 days for a mainline telephone connection.

4. Trade

• 15.2% of firms in Paraguay are exporters, lower than the regional average of 17.3% and the lower middle income group of 16.8%.
• 73.2% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies, indicating a high level of integration into global markets.
• Customs clearance is a challenge:
  • 21.7 days for direct exports.
  • 26.3 days for imports, which is higher than the regional average of 13.8 days and the lower middle income group of 13.0 days.
• Export losses due to theft and breakage are minimal, with 0.0% and 0.3% respectively.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Time spent on government regulation by senior management is 20.6%, with small firms spending 19.9% and medium firms 21.1%.
• Tax inspections occur on average 1.0 times per year for all firms.
• Business licensing is a significant hurdle, with days to obtain an import license at 20.8 days, construction-related permits at 114.0 days, and operating licenses at 81.3 days.
• Legal forms of business are dominated by closed shareholding companies (86.7%), with sole proprietorships (8.0%) and partnerships (1.0%) being less common.

6. Finance

• Internal finance is the primary source for investment, with 60.4% of firms relying on it.
• Bank finance accounts for 20.8% of investment, with small firms having a slightly higher share at 21.9%.
• Working capital is mostly externally financed, with 39.2% of firms using external sources.
• Collateral requirements are high, with 281.6% of the loan amount needed as collateral, indicating a difficult access to formal financing.
• Bank loans/lines of credit are used by 60.2% of firms, with checking or savings accounts held by 89.7% of firms.

7. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality certification is relatively low, with 15.0% of firms holding internationally recognized certifications.
• External audit of financial statements is used by 49.0% of firms, with medium firms having the highest rate at 60.4%.
• Website usage is common, with 49.1% of firms using their own website.
• Email communication is widely used, with 81.0% of firms using it to communicate with clients and suppliers.
• Workforce composition shows a preference for permanent workers (50.7 average), with temporary workers averaging 6.0.
• Female participation in full-time employment is 30.8%, with small firms having 30.2% and medium firms 31.6%.

Key Information

• The Enterprise Surveys are a tool for understanding the business environment and firm productivity across countries.
• The surveys are jointly funded with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for Latin America and the Caribbean by COMPETE Caribbean.
• The sample is stratified by industry, firm size, and geographic region to ensure representativeness.
• All indicators are based on firm responses, offering a direct insight into business challenges and opportunities.
• The data is used to compare Paraguay with other countries in the Latin America & Caribbean region and the lower middle income group.

Conclusion

The Paraguay Country Profile 2010 highlights that while the country has a relatively stable business environment in terms of formal registration and access to financial services, it still faces challenges in corruption, regulatory efficiency, and infrastructure reliability. These issues impact firm productivity and operational costs. Improvements in business licensing, corruption reduction, and infrastructure development are critical for enhancing the business environment and promoting sustainable growth in Paraguay.