This document has been produced by the World Bank to support the Government of Guatemala as it improves its transport and logistics sector management in pursuit of enhanced country competitiveness.
... See More + It identifies and defines elements of a National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) through the development of a methodology which analyzes bottlenecks and related costs along the main logistics corridors. It does so with a view to (a) mobilizing support in the trading community (essentially private sector) for logistic service improvements, (b) identifying the need for broader public-sector reforms in transport which indirectly impact logistics performance, and (c) helping the Government to set sector priorities and hence to prioritize public investment. At the same time, it points out where improved data and monitoring of performance are needed in order to better quantify economic costs, diagnose key logistics issues, and track improved performance. It thereby proposes, as part of the set of recommended activities, to build the Government of Guatemalas capacity to measure performance and take action. While the document is based on sound analysis of some aspects of the countrys logistics system, it must be considered primarily a starting point which is subject to broad country dissemination and debate by public and private stakeholders.
See Less -
Working Paper 93529 JAN 01, 2015
Dumitrescu, Anca C.; Smith, Graham; Osborne, Theresa K.
This paper investigates the causal consequences of Tropical Storm Agatha (2010) -- the strongest tropical storm ever to strike Guatemala since rainfall records have been kept -- on household welfare.
... See More + The analysis reveals substantial negative effects, particularly among urban households. Per capita consumption fell by 12.6 percent, raising poverty by 5.5 percentage points (an increase of 18 percent). The negative effects of the shock span other areas of human welfare. Households cut back on food consumption (10 percent or 43 to 108 fewer calories per person per day) and reduced expenditures on basic durables. These effects are related to a drop in income per capita (10 percent), mostly among salaried workers. Adults coped with the shock by increasing their labor supply (on the intensive margin) and simultaneously relying on the labor supply of their children and withdrawing them from school. Impact heterogeneity is associated with the intensity of the shock, food price inflation, and the timing of Agatha with respect to the harvest cycle of the main crops. The results are robust to placebo treatments, household migration, issues of measurement error, and different samples. The negative effects of the storm partly explain the increase in poverty seen in urban Guatemala between 2006 and 2011, which national authorities and analysts previously attributed solely to the collateral effects of the global financial crisis.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS7177 JAN 01, 2015
Baez, Javier E.; Lucchetti, Leonardo; Genoni, Maria E.; Salazar, Mateo
This economy profile for Doing Business 2015 presents the 11 Doing Business indicators for Guatemala. To allow for useful comparison, the profile also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator.
... See More + Doing Business 2015 is the 12th edition in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business; for 2015 Guatemala ranks 73. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 189 economies from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and over time. Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business known as indicators. Ten of these areas are included in this years ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures labor market regulation, which is not included in this years ranking. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2014 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period from January to December 2013).
See Less -
The development objective of the Pilot to Improve the Development and Nutrition of Young Children in Poor Rural Areas in Guatemala Project for Guatemala is to strengthen the capacity of parents and communities to improve and monitor child development outcomes (physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and linguistic skills) for children under two in project intervention areas.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) mapping early stimulation practices in (and applicable to) the participating communities. Conducting a diagnostic of current practices and beliefs in understanding the context and in designing an appropriate parenting and early stimulation package; (2) investigating current child feeding and caring behaviors; (3) conducting the consultation process in intervention areas following the guidelines included in the municipal code (articles 38, 60, 65, and 66), as well as the framework included in the present indigenous peoples plan (IPP); (4) creating an ethics code for proper socio-cultural interaction of project staff with beneficiaries and community members following local norms and belief systems; and (5) organizing the project activities by observing the indigenous ritual and festive calendars.
See Less -
This is the first edition of the of the Guatemala Economic DNA (Diagnostic for National Action) with a focus section on job creation. The report highlights the important achievements of Guatemala on the macroeconomic stability front.
... See More + It also argues that these achievements will need to be secured and makes the case for an increased focus on accelerating economic growth. For example, this edition highlights that in 2013 the countrys economic activity expanded by 3.7 percent in 2013, and is projected to grow around 3.6 percent in the near-term, in line with the growth of Central American economies but below the growth rate in emerging markets. Meanwhile, inflation has been managed and the authorities deserve to be recognized for their commitment to maintain macroeconomic stability. Guatemalas economy has recovered at a modest but consistent pace since the global financial crisis of 2008-09. Guatemalas macroeconomic resilience is due to prudent macroeconomic policies and a more diversified economy in comparison to other Central American countries, which has helped cushion the impact of shocks. Accelerating growth can substantially reduce poverty in Guatemala, but this will require improvements in economy-wide productivity. Public investment is essential to achieving Guatemalas development goals, yet it remains tightly constrained by a lack of resources, and the government continues to collect the lowest share of public revenues in the world relative to the size of its economy. This report, underscores the extent to which structural constraints on enterprise development slow hiring rates, discourage technology transfer, and promote informality. Several cross-cutting factors are also closely correlated with job creation in Guatemala, including financial depth, exposure to corruption, and informality. Strengthening the rule of law and streamlining regulatory systems will be essential to facilitating firm growth, fostering greater competitiveness, and boosting the returns to both labor and capital.
See Less -
Working Paper 90491 AUG 01, 2014
Hernandez, Marco Antonio; Tiongson, Erwin; Saldarriaga, Miguel Angel; Clavijo, Mateo; Loyola, Jorge; Lothrop, Sean; Scott, Kinnon; Udomsaph, Charles; Coates, Brendan; Leon, Cesar; Hanusch, Marek; Arnal, Matias; Lachy, DianaSpanish
This is the first edition of the of the Guatemala Economic DNA (Diagnostic for National Action) with a focus section on job creation. The report highlights the important achievements of Guatemala on the macroeconomic stability front.
... See More + It also argues that these achievements will need to be secured and makes the case for an increased focus on accelerating economic growth. For example, this edition highlights that in 2013 the countrys economic activity expanded by 3.7 percent in 2013, and is projected to grow around 3.6 percent in the near-term, in line with the growth of Central American economies but below the growth rate in emerging markets. Meanwhile, inflation has been managed and the authorities deserve to be recognized for their commitment to maintain macroeconomic stability. Guatemalas economy has recovered at a modest but consistent pace since the global financial crisis of 2008-09. Guatemalas macroeconomic resilience is due to prudent macroeconomic policies and a more diversified economy in comparison to other Central American countries, which has helped cushion the impact of shocks. Accelerating growth can substantially reduce poverty in Guatemala, but this will require improvements in economy-wide productivity. Public investment is essential to achieving Guatemalas development goals, yet it remains tightly constrained by a lack of resources, and the government continues to collect the lowest share of public revenues in the world relative to the size of its economy. This report, underscores the extent to which structural constraints on enterprise development slow hiring rates, discourage technology transfer, and promote informality. Several cross-cutting factors are also closely correlated with job creation in Guatemala, including financial depth, exposure to corruption, and informality. Strengthening the rule of law and streamlining regulatory systems will be essential to facilitating firm growth, fostering greater competitiveness, and boosting the returns to both labor and capital.
See Less -
Working Paper 90491 AUG 01, 2014
Hernandez, Marco Antonio; Tiongson, Erwin; Saldarriaga, Miguel Angel; Clavijo, Mateo; Loyola, Jorge; Lothrop, Sean; Scott, Kinnon; Udomsaph, Charles; Coates, Brendan; Leon, Cesar; Hanusch, Marek; Arnal, Matias; Lachy, DianaEnglish