bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Innovative Scheme Brings Housing to Colombian Public Employees and Pensioners
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Almost 90 percent of adult Colombians have never had access to credit from a formal financial institution. Public employees like police officers, teachers, soldiers, and clerks encounter difficulties when accessing bank credit despite their formal employment. With low salaries, they struggle to make ends meet and face the same problems accessing credit as others living at the base of the pyramid: insufficient credit history, no collateral, and the perception that lending to them is too risky.Bayport Colombia S.A.S. is a non-bank financial intermediary that specializes in loans repayable via payroll deduction for base of the pyramid (BOP) employees in rural areas of Colombia. Founded in 2007 as FiMSA S.A.S., the firm became a subsidiary in 2011 of Bayport Management Limited, a South-African company with a presence in eight countries in Africa and 15 years of experience in areas with low levels of financial inclusion.
Better Jobs Index - Argentina
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The Better Jobs Index measures jobs in countries based on two dimensions: quantity and quality. The quantity dimension is composed of two indicators: the labor participation rate and the employment rate. Quality, on the other hand, consists of the formality rate and living wage sufficient to overcome poverty. Thus, the index is the weighted average of these four indicators, and their scores range from 0 to 100. For a country to get 100 points, all people who participate in the labor force must be employed with a formal job that provides them with a living wage.
Better Jobs Index - Uruguay
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The Better Jobs Index measures jobs in countries based on two dimensions: quantity and quality. The quantity dimension is composed of two indicators: the labor participation rate and the employment rate. Quality, on the other hand, consists of the formality rate and living wage sufficient to overcome poverty. Thus, the index is the weighted average of these four indicators*, and their scores range from 0 to 100. For a country to get 100 points, all people who participate in the labor force must be employed with a formal job that provides them with a living wage.* Indicators are calculated using the population aged 15-64, excluding those who are studying and who, therefore, are not working or looking for work. If you want to know more, consult the methodology document.
¿Tiene género el agua?
Authors: Núñez Anamaría , Subiza Dolores , Monje Silva Andrea
Published: March 2024

INFOGRAFÍA: En el sector de agua y saneamiento, las políticas públicas deben incorporar una perspectiva de género para asegurar su sostenibilidad. Para combatir las desigualdades, tenemos que empezar por saber medir la dimensión del problema. Aunque contamos con mucha información sobre el acceso a servicios de agua y saneamiento, muy poca está desagregada por sexo. Asimismo, es importante incorporar la perspectiva de género en nuestros proyectos, como por ejemplo a través de la capacitación y sensibilización sobre las diferencias en los roles de género o tomando en cuenta la opinión y necesidades específicas de las mujeres durante los procesos de toma de decisión ligados al diseño e implementación. Esto nos lleva a la necesidad de incrementar la participación de las mujeres en el sector: actualmente las mujeres están subrepresentadas, siendo solamente el 19,7% de los empleados del sector de agua y saneamiento (comparado con más del 60% en el sector servicios). Por tanto, es nuestra responsabilidad poner en marcha acciones que promuevan una participación igualitaria de hombres y mujeres en puestos de decisión (desde los ministerios hasta los comités de agua comunitarios), así como el desarrollo de políticas sectoriales y planificación y la administración de proyectos.
A Legacy of Gods: Textiles and Woodcarvings
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Fifty-six 20th century Mayan objects in fabric and wood from private collections and the permanent collection of the IDB, including photo enlargements of watercolors of indigenous costume by Carmen de Lind Pettersen on permanent exhibition at the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Clothing in Guatemala City. Textiles included huipiles for daily and ceremonial use, sashes and wraps. Woodcarvings by anonymous artists included masks, toys and religious figurines.
Selected Paintings from the Art Museum of the Americas
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Twenty paintings by major Latin American artists, presented on occasion of the IDB's publication of the book Art of Latin America l900-1980, written by the late Argentine-Colombian art historian and critic Marta Traba.
La economía del cambio climático en el Perú: Impactos en el sector hidroenergía
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Published: March 2024

Este estudio tiene un enfoque estático que busca entender cómo el cambio en el balance hídrico alteraría la capacidad de generación de energía de algunas centrales hidroeléctricas instaladas (es decir, no considera la potencialidad futura), las mismas que representan el 76% del parquet generador hidroeléctrico actual. Las ecuaciones de comportamiento físico de las centrales hidroeléctricas hicieron posible el empleo de un modelo económico que se asemeja a una función de producción de corto plazo, donde los factores son caudal y salto, el producto es energía eléctrica, la tecnología es Pelton y la productividad del factor variable se expresa como unidades de energía. Se asume que la fluctuación climática es estable en este análisis y es considerada en la etapa de pre-post inversión del proyecto hidroeléctrico.Los resultados sugieren una disminución consistente de la producción de electricidad en el escenario sin cambio climático, mientras que con cambio climático la disponibilidad hídrica de las cuencas estudiadas, los resultados muestran efectos diversos.
La economía del cambio climático en el Perú: Impactos en el sector turismo
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Published: March 2024

El objetivo del estudio es establecer los costos económicos del cambio climático sobre la oferta y demanda del turismo en el Perú. Se considera que el principal tipo de turismo es el arqueológico y cultural, aunque se reconoce que otros tipos de turismo vienen cobrando importancia en el país. Las estimaciones exploran el efecto de la interrupción de las vías de comunicación hacia la ciudadela Inca de Machu Picchu (y el Cusco) en la demanda de turismo. Específicamente, se proyecta el número de turistas con las variables económicas relevantes de la línea base, y se incorporan los escenarios climáticos para evaluar el desempeño sectorial futuro. Para esto se proyectan las pérdidas de ingresos por la reducción de turistas debido al cambio climático. El estudio sugiere que la demanda de turismo responde no solo a factores externos que afectan el desempeño del PBI de los principales países abastecedores (Chile y USA), sino también a factores internos que se reflejan en la probabilidad de ocurrencia de los eventos extremos sobre las vías de acceso al bien turístico. Los aportes al conocimiento de los costos económicos del cambio climatico que hace este estudio, permitirá mejorar el diseño de políticas públicas dirigidas a este sector.
Implementing Aid for Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   World Trade Organization
Published: March 2024

Integration into the global economy is a central component of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries development strategy. Trade is an engine for growth and, if accompanied with sound and wide-ranging complementary public and private sector policies and initiatives, has the potential to contribute to poverty reduction.
Effects of Innovation on Employment in Latin America: The Microeconometric Evidence
Authors: Crespi Gustavo , Tacsir Ezequiel
Published: March 2024

This presentation provides the comparative results of a project carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank to understand the links between innovation and employment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Special attention is paid to the importance of sectoral and size difference in both quantity and quality composition of employment. This project is based on national country studies performed by different research teams and includes research from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay. This presentation was prepared for the 9th GLOBELICS Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 15th, 2011.
Strategic Planning and Environmental and Social Management in Sustainable Tourism Development Projects: A Good Practice Study of the IDB-Supported Prodetur Program in Brazil
Authors: Redwood John
Published: March 2024

Over the past two decades, the Inter-American Development Bank (hereafter "the Bank") has gained considerable experience with regard to the promotion of sustainable tourism activities in Brazil. These include ecotourism in the Amazon region, but particularly in the less developed Northeast. This has entailed a valuable learning process with respect to the environmental impacts and management challenges associated with tourism development and investments to support it, leading to a significant evolution in the Bank's approach over time. As a result, much of what the Bank is currently doing in connection with its tourism development projects in Brazil can be characterized as good practice. This is especially the case both in terms of its strategic planning approach at the state and local levels, as well as the ways in which environmental considerations and components have been integrated, or mainstreamed, into overall project and subproject design and implementation. Based on a review of pertinent documents; interviews with Bank staff and selected borrowers; and field visits to two of the four active Prodetur projects (in the states of Ceara and Pernambuco), the purpose of this paper is to summarize these features of the Bank's approach to sustainable tourism in Brazil and to briefly describe how this approach has evolved over time. It will also identify a few areas where further improvements would be useful.
Fondo Multilateral de Inversiones, un instrumento para el desarrollo del sector privado: Lecciones aprendidas de los proyectos de simplificación administrativa
Authors: Vásquez Bibiana
Published: March 2024

Presentación sobre los proyectos de simplificación administrativa del FOMIN que dan a conocer las lecciones aprendidas de los mismos.
Buenas prácticas franquicias colombianas
Authors: Herrera Beatriz
Published: March 2024

Presentación que abarca información sobre la estructura organizacional de las franquicias, las condiciones de la franquiciabilidad, el proceso para la selección de firmas consultoras y las estrategias para la promoción y divulgación desarrolladas durante el programa.
La franquicia en Latinoamérica
Authors: Gallástegui Juan Manuel
Published: March 2024

Presentación que aborda información sobre la franquicia en Latinoamérica. Da a conocer el caso de México, así como el Programa Nacional de Franquicias en el mismo, durante los años 2008 y 2009. Además, señala los retos de las franquicias en Latinoamérica.
Evaluación del Programa de Abasto de Leche (Liconsa): Un Caso Exitoso
Authors: Hernández Licona Gonzalo
Published: March 2024

Esta presentación fue comisionada por la Red de Reducción de la Pobreza y Protección Social del Diálogo Regional de Política para la Reunión Subregional de Centro América celebrada los días 19 y 20 de julio de 2004 en México, D.F. ¿Por qué Evaluar? Apoyar el conocimiento y aprendizaje sobre programas. Mejorar programas y determinar su pertinencia La presentación de resultados sobre el programa favorece su permanencia. Mejorar la discusión sobre política social al incluir elementos más objetivos y técnicos. Tener recomendaciones que se utilicen en el diseño de la Política Social.
Educar para la Ciudadanía y la Democracia en las Américas: Una Agenda para la Acción
Authors: Jaramillo Rosario , Reimers Fernando , Cox Cristián
Published: March 2024

Este documento fue comisionado por la Red de Educación del Diálogo Regional de Política para la VII Reunión Hemisférica celebrada los días 17 y 18 de febrero de 2005.
La crisis financiera y su impacto en las asociaciones público privadas (APPs) en América Latine y el Caribe (LAC) y en el mundo
Authors: Schulz Hans
Published: March 2024

Presentación expuesta durante el seminario "Desarrollo de Infraestructura para un Crecimiento Económico Sostenible. Lecciones Aprendidas de la Experiencia Española", llevado a cabo en Madrid, España, en octubre 2009. El objetivo de esta presentación es ilustrar un marco general de cómo la crisis financiera del 2008, afectó las Alianzas Público Privadas en América Latina, el Caribe, y el resto del mundo en general.
CSRAméricas en números: Reporte de resultados
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Esta presentación muestra los resultados de la Octava Conferencia Interamericana sobre Responsabilidad Social en la Empresa, realizada entre el 24 y 26 de Mayo de 2011 en Asunción, Paraguay. En esta se presenta el perfil de los participantes, por tipo de institución, el perfil de la agenda, las visitas online y la cobertura por MicAméricas y los medios.
Tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en Nicaragua
Authors: García Zaballos Antonio
Published: March 2024

El Gobierno de Nicaragua ha identificado las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC) como un pilar clave de su estrategia para mejorar la gestión pública y aumentar la competitividad; sin embargo, se encuentra en desventaja comparativa en materia de inversión, activos y resultados respecto a otros países de la región y del mundo. Este documento de discusión presenta un argumento sobre el rol de las TIC en la agenda del desarrollo, describe un diagnóstico del estado actual de la penetración y uso de las TIC en Nicaragua, e identifica los principales retos y desafíos. El documento aborda el tema en un contexto comparativo regional y global, para facilitar la evaluación de la situación del país. A la vista de los datos y análisis presentados, se mencionan opciones de política que podría explorar el gobierno de Nicaragua para enfrentar los desafíos identificados en aspectos institucionales, regulatorios, de despliegue de infraestructuras y de generación de la demanda, mediante el desarrollo de servicios y aplicaciones que respondan a las necesidades y prioridades de individuos, empresas y el gobierno. El documento concluye con una serie de recomendaciones de política específicas que facilitarían la inserción del país en la economía digital.
Indicadores fiscales en América Latina y el Caribe
Authors: Martner Ricardo
Published: March 2024

Esta presentación, basada en un documento de trabajo con el mismo nombre, discute las finanzas públicas y las innovaciones presupuestarias, incluye comparaciones internacionales en América Latina y evolución del Gobierno Central. Contiene ejemplos de Brasil, Chile y México. Esta presentación fue realizada en la 6ta Reunión Hemisférica de la Red de Gestión Pública y Transparencia del Diálogo Regional de Política celebrada los días 23 y 24 de mayo de 2005.
5a Reunión de la Red para la Reducción de la Pobreza y la Protección Social
Authors:   Gobierno Bolivariano de Venezuela
Published: March 2024

Esta presentación fue comisionada por la Red de Reducción de la Pobreza y Protección Social del Diálogo Regional de Política para la 5a Reunión Hemisférica celebrada los días 22 y 23 de mayo de 2003. El documento sintetiza la vinculación de la Constitución Nacional con el plan de equilibrio social y el plan estratégico social del Gobierno de Venezuela. Además, se presentan las directrices estratégicas y las estrategias para la profundización de la política social. Por último se plantean los principales aciertos y retos.
International Case Studies of Smart Cities: Santander, Spain
Authors: Gutiérrez Bayo Jaime
Published: March 2024

This case study is one of ten international case studies developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in association with the Korean Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), for the cities of Anyang, Medellin, Namyangju, Orlando, Pangyo, Rio de Janeiro, Santander, Singapore, Songdo, and Tel Aviv. At the IDB, the Competitiveness and Innovation Division (CTI), the Fiscal and Municipal Management Division (FMM), and the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) coordinated the study. This project was part of technical cooperation ME-T1254, financed by the Knowledge Partnership Korean Fund for Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Korea. At KRIHS, the National Infrastructure Research Division coordinated the project and the Global Development Partnership Center (GDPC) provided the funding. The case of Santander as an object of study in the field of smart cities and as an international reference is known for the widespread deployment of devices, which makes it unique in the world as a testing ground. This, coupled with the diversity of services that are integrating technology throughout, means that today, the city, through its council, the university, and the successful tenderers for municipal services, is participating in more than 15 international projects. The next step, already underway, will be the integration of all smart services (e.g., water supply, solid waste collection, street lighting, and public transportation) into a single smart platform that will allow them to interact with each other and represents a step toward efficiency and smart city management.
MicroEnterprise Americas: Fall, 2006
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This issue of MicroEnterprise Americas explores the various issues and challenges of extending economic opportunities to all. The Special Section of the magazine focuses on access to markets, which most microenterprises characterize as the single most important challenge they face after access to finance. One article highlights value chains and linkages as a means of providing better market access; another article analyzes the pros and cons of offering a protected public procurement market for smaller enterprises; a third feature offers arguments in favor of developing associations and other partnerships when facing outside competition. As in previous years, this issue also presents articles on a variety of other subjects, such as the use of technology to link microenterprises with potential investors through the Internet and setting up a special "disaster" fund to assist MFIs in affected areas. Finally, the magazine portrays the accomplishments of the four winners of the Microenterprise Awards.
TICS en Educación: Una Innovación Disruptiva
Authors: Severin Eugenio , Cabrol Marcelo
Published: March 2024

Para el año 2015, es posible que 30 millones de estudiantes de América Latina cuenten con un dispositivo electrónico de uso personal, destinado a apoyar sus aprendizajes. Esto representa un enorme desafío educativo.
Aporte: No. 17: Julio 2012: Desigualdad en los aprendizajes de los alumnos Colombianos
Authors: Duarte Jesús , Bos María Soledad
Published: March 2024

Los aprendizajes escolares de los alumnos colombianos son altamente desiguales. Alumnos de mayor nivel socioeconómico y que asisten a escuelas urbanas y privadas obtienen mejores resultados en las pruebas de aprendizajes. Esta desigualdad en los aprendizajes escolares también se relaciona con la presencia de ciertos factores en las escuelas. Alumnos que asisten a escuelas con mejor infraestructura, mayor acceso a servicios básicos, mayor cantidad de horas de instrucción y ambientes de convivencia más amables también obtienen mejores resultados en las pruebas de aprendizajes. A su vez, se observa que las escuelas que atienden a alumnos de menor nivel socioeconómico y de las zonas rurales tienen mayor carencia de estos factores.
Revista Integración & Comercio N° 35: Año 16: Julio-diciembre, 2012
Authors: Bianchi Eduardo , Gómez Minujín Gala , Arellano José Pablo , Meloni Nassar André , Katz Sebastián , Rozenwurcel Guillermo , Santa Gadea Rosario , Cavalcanti Carlos Eduardo G. , Dos Santos Enestor , Ruta Michele , Piñeiro Martín , Zignago Soledad , Perrone Nicolás Marcelo , Messere Vanina , Venables Anthony J. , Tafgar Aiken , Hamanaka Shintaro
Published: March 2024

En el último decenio se verifica un significativo incremento de las exportaciones de varios países de América Latina y el Caribe, hacia destinos dentro y fuera de la región. Dicho incremento de los vínculos comerciales no ha estado acompañado, sin embargo, de un aumento proporcional en las inversiones recíprocas entre los socios comerciales. Este hecho impide aprovechar indudables ventajas, entre las que vale destacar la posibilidad de diversificar y escalar la calidad (upgrade) de los vínculos comerciales mediante la superación de las barreras al comercio impuestas por la distancia y las diferencias culturales, así como por la mayor disponibilidad de capital y conocimiento que fluye hacia los países receptores. A esto se agrega, en ellos, la creación de nuevos empleos y la mitigación de los costos sociales generados por los desajustes en los mercados de trabajo que son producto del intercambio y la integración entre socios comerciales a veces muy distintos.
Dossier energético: Centroamérica
Authors: Hinestrosa Carlos , Guerra Sergio , Balza Lenin , Espinasa Ramón , Sucre Carlos
Published: March 2024

Este dossier analiza el sector energético en Centroamérica en su forma actual en 2010 y sus cambios a través del tiempo. Describe el flujo de energía del país por el consumo del sector y la fuente y la organización industrial del sector y el marco institucional.
At the Gates of Paradise: Art of the Guaraní of Paraguay
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The exhibit unites a number of artistic expressions of the Guaraní Indians of Paraguay, from the colonial period to the present. Include 65 pieces including statuary, both sacred and secular, photographs, videos, and contemporary art. All of the art works allow for a better understanding of the Guaraní culture that transmits knowledge fundamentally through an oral tradition, but has also come to assimilate a number of influences, modifying them to their own needs. The exhibition was open at the Art Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank on September 2005.
INTAL Connection: No 236: April, 2016
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean and disseminate IADB activities on this topics.
INTAL Connection: No 242: October, 2016
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on developments on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No 223: March, 2015
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
Provisioning Requirements in Latin America: Where Does the Region Stand?
Authors: Rojas-Suárez Liliana , Galindo Arturo
Published: March 2024

This policy note focuses on provisioning practices in Latin America, a supervisory tool that if well designed can contribute to strengthen both micro and macro prudential regulation. For that purpose this note briefly explains the importance of an adequate regulatory regime for provisioning requirements and identifies key features of an adequate provisioning regime, describes the most salient characteristics of provisioning regimes in Latin America, and constructs an index to assess the quality of the provisioning regimes in the selected countries.
The Business Climate in Jamaica: What Does the Enterprise Survey Have to Say?
Authors: Nugent Stevonne , Schmid Juan Pedro
Published: March 2024

Jamaican firms are constantly plagued by a number of issues that restrict their ability to grow. The World Bank's Enterprise Survey examined the key indicators to give insight on the business climate in Jamaica. Compared with firms in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, Jamaican firms face several constraints to growth and operation. Within the Caribbean Country Department (CCB), Jamaica is the only member - except Suriname - that identified close to half of the areas as constraints to firm operation. Tax rates, access to finance, practices of the informal sector, and electricity were identified as their biggest obstacles.
Entrepreneurship Policy and Firm Performance: Chile's CORFO Seed Capital Program
Authors: Navarro Lucas
Published: March 2024

This paper uses administrative data from projects for which an application was made to CORFO's (Chile's main development agency) Seed Capital Program (SCP) during the 2008-12 period. This paper analyzes the impact of the program, which is a subsidy provided to new, innovative firms, on Start, Growth, and Survival. The projects are supported by sponsors in the application process. Results of our analysis indicate that, controlling for observed characteristics, projects that received the subsidy had a 9.5 percentage point higher probability of starting to sell. Among created firms, subsidized (Treated) firms showed a 17 percentage point higher probability of significant Growth (in sales) and a similar effect on Survival. The analysis also examined a change in the program rules in 2011, whereby sponsors were paid based on performance instead of fixed fees, as it was before 2011. For projects affected by the policy change, results indicate no overall association of the program with the probability of Start and a positive correlation with Growth and Survival. These results could be a consequence of sponsors making better project selections for funding. The change in rules means that the program contributes more to the Growth and Survival of new firms than to their Start, which would take place anyway. The data available for this study did not make it possible to control for potential selection biases, and thus the results need to be viewed with caution, and data collection standards need to improve to help identify the true effect of this type of program.
The Long Road to Housing Reform: Lessons from the Chilean Experience
Authors: Rojas Eduardo
Published: March 2024

Chile's housing policy is widely regarded as a success. For almost a decade, new construction has been above the level required to provide houses for new families and replace obsolete structures. This raises hopes that within the next decade all families in Chile will occupy dwellings that comply with minimum quality and service standards. This is no small accomplishment for a country just entering the middle ground in the development scale. Moreover, the private sector is taking an increasingly active role in housing production and financing. This too is a significant achievement considering that in the 1970s most housing was built and financed by the government. Further, government assistance is effectively reaching the poor, and most public resources are benefiting low-income households. Confidence in the housing policy is high among the low-income population as expressed in their high level of participation in a housing savings program and by the absence of land invasions. These accomplishments are the result of a long maturation process in the Chilean housing sector. Fifty years of government policy have consolidated the legal, institutional, and entrepreneurial foundations of the current housing production and financing system. Several success factors can be identified: an integrated sector approach (which incorporates the housing needs of all income groups); an efficient subsidy system (the result of a long process of experimentation); and reforms of the general banking system and the social security system (which created strong institutions to intermediate the financial resources accumulated by pension funds and life insurance companies). Even with its accomplishments, Chile's housing sector still faces significant challenges. Improvements are needed to more effectively mobilize the resources devoted to housing. The lack of coordination between housing and urban development policies is becoming a major liability for both efficient housing production and equitable urban growth. Direct government involvement in house construction and home financing enforce uniformity in design and repayment schedules failing to fully meet the diversified demand of the target households and to fully mobilize the repayment capacity of beneficiaries. It is suggested that it may be time for housing policy to move beyond this basic approach introducing more flexibility through greater market participation in low-income housing.
Tax Expenditures for Promoting Investment Applied to Corporate Income Tax
Authors: Gómez Sabaini Juan C. , Velasco Pedro
Published: March 2024

This report was commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank's Fiscal and Municipal Management Division of the Institutional Capacity and Finance Sector within the framework of the project Tax Expenditures: Reducing Abuse and Increasing Effectiveness. It tackles controversial questions regarding the interpretation, criteria, and estimation methodologies of tax expenditures in the field of corporate income tax aimed at encouraging investment. It is intended to provide the basis for a dialogue, which could be further developed, leading to the future establishment of tax expenditure estimation directives for Latin American and Caribbean countries, and thereby contributing to the comparison of tax expenditure measurement processes.
Best Practices in Cleaner Production: Promotion and Implementation for Smaller Enterprises
Authors: Ashton Weslynne , Ehrenfeld John R. , Luque Andrés
Published: March 2024

This report reviews of a set of international programs promoting Cleaner Production (CP) to aid MIF and similar donor agencies in structuring cluster programs with SMEs in Latin America aimed at promoting resource efficiency while improving economic and environmental performance.
Equipment Leasing and Lending: A Guide for Microfinance
Authors: Westley Glenn D.
Published: March 2024

This paper describes how to do equipment finance--leasing and lending--for mainstream microentrepreneurs, that is, for those microentrepreneurs needing approximately $50 to $2500 to purchase equipment. Specifically, this paper examines the pros and cons of the two major financing alternatives, loans and leases. The paper also provides a series of best practice recommendations for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to use in their equipment leasing and lending programs.
Indigenous Peoples and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Guatemala
Authors: Plant Roger
Published: March 2024

The present case study is part of a larger research project undertaken for the Inter-American Development Bank, concerning the issue of indigenous peoples and poverty reduction in Latin America. In introducing the Guatemalan study, it is important to clarify its scope and objectives. It aims both to broaden the knowledge of IDB officials themselves regarding the complex issues to be addressed in reducing the poverty of indigenous peoples in a country like Guatemala; and also to prepare the ground for a future dialogue between IDB officials and the Government of Guatemala on this same subject. Given this dual objective, the study of necessity contains more background information than for a document prepared exclusively for the Government of Guatemala. At the same time, the main focus is on policy concerns rather than a descriptive account of the poverty facing indigenous peoples in Guatemala.
Institutional Capacities for Small Business Policy Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Angelelli Pablo , Moudry Rebecca , Llisterri Juan J.
Published: March 2024

This study provides a quantitative description of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean. It highlights the quality of the information available in the region and, in doing so, also identifies gaps in the data. The study also presents a comparative analysis of the capacity of national MSME institutions to support small business development.
Competition in Public Utilities in Developing Countries
Authors: Laffont Jean-Jacques , Beato Paulina
Published: March 2024

This paper focuses on public utilities (telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, transportation (roads, railways, buses, ports, airports), and postal service, which are sometimes referred to as economic infrastructures. The paper summarizes the desirable departures from the practices of developed countries that are called for the specificities in less developed essentially on the basis of normative economic theory. The paper provides a useful framework for those who have the difficult task of advising these countries in the implementation of more efficient ways to provide public services.
Gender Issues in Technical Training and Vocational Education
Authors: Howden Sarah , Fawcett Caroline S.
Published: March 2024

The overall goal of the Bank's Women in Development (WID) Policy is to improve the socioeconomic situation of women in Latin America and the Caribbean and to improve the performance of Bank projects by enhancing women's contributions. To assist project officers in this task, gender guidelines, or resource books, are being prepared in specific sectors and economic structures and markets of Bank Activity. The information in this resource book is focused primarily on training issues regarding skills acquisition in the urban manufacturing and service sectors.
Risk Management for Cargo and Passengers: A Knowledge and Capacity Product
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Border control agencies, including customs authorities, face major challenges balancing a country's need for controls with the benefits of facilitating cross-border traffic in people and goods. To better manage the growing volume of travelers and trade, a significant number of leading customs administrations has adopted risk management as the guiding principle for border management. Systematically implementing risk management at strategic, operational, and tactical levels ensures that customs administrations best deploy resources to protect their citizens from threats to health, safety, and security, while simultaneously supporting economic growth by maintaining efficient and predictable cross-border transit times.
Lessons Learned from Implementing the Sustainable Development Program in the State of Acre in Brazil
Authors: Horton John , Dengel Cristina
Published: March 2024

The IDB's strategy in Brazil seeks to promote and further the reform and modernization of the public sector, to support efforts to improve the competitiveness of Brazilian goods, to support the efforts to reduce social inequalities and poverty and, finally, to address the problems of environmental and natural resource management. The Sustainable Development Program in the State of Acre supported the four elements of this strategy by including activities to strengthen the capacity for environmental management at the state level thus promoting modernization of the state, by bolstering competitiveness through improvement of the quality of the transportation infrastructure, by actions to foster the productivity of rural communities and small producers thus supporting efforts to reduce inequality and by actions for conservation and protection of the Amazon rainforest. This note gives an overview of key achievements and challenges to reach such results as well as outline the key lessons learned accumulated over the course of the project.
Water and the Millennium Development Goals: Investment Needs in Latin America & the Caribbean
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This study has been carried out with the purpose of assessing the overall investment needs of Latin America and the Caribbean by 2015, based on the assumption of meeting the Millennium Development Goals with regards to improving access to drinking water services and to better sanitation. It should be noted that the estimates calculated in this survey will at a later stage be compared with the estimates carried out by each country's authorities, discussing their differences and similarities. Therefore, these estimates should be understood as preliminary, and to the best of our knowledge, they will constitute the first overall and systematic assessment of the investment needs in water and sanitation required in order to meet the Millennium Goals.
Sustainable Tourism in Belize
Authors: Martin Dougal , Rogers Cassandra , Lemay Michele H.
Published: March 2024

The health of Belize's economy is closely related to the health of the tourism industry, which was responsible for 40 percent of total exports of goods and services from 2008 to 2012. The tourism industry in Belize is still an emerging sector, and its continued sustainable growth is a critical factor. This technical note discusses the main characteristics of Belize's tourism sector and its importance to the national economy, and identifies the key constraints to the sector's sustainable development and the policies currently being implemented. The note highlights the country's cultural heritage, biodiversity, and ecosystems as forms of natural capital; the threats of natural disasters and climate change; and the opportunities to achieve sustainable tourism. It also presents policy recommendations, taking into account the strategic goals of the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan 2012-2030 (NSTMP), a strategic framework for sustainable development that guides Belize's tourism sector, as well as the goals toward regional integration in Central America.
Assessing the Risk of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Reservoirs
Authors: Hurwitz Zachary
Published: March 2024

The objective of this technical note is to orient the IDB Group's Environmental Safeguards Specialists in their assessment and management of reservoir emissions risk. This note contains: (i) a summary of the current knowledge about reservoir emissions; (ii) a conceptual framework for the assessment of reservoir emissions risk; (iii) procedures for IDB Group Environmental Safeguards Specialists to follow in order to screen for reservoir emissions risk and to provide due diligence on borrower capacity; and (iv) a brief discussion of actions that the IDB may require of the borrower to mitigate and monitor reservoir emissions risk.
Global Value Chains in the Peruvian Mining Sector
Authors: Pietrobelli Carlo , Molina Oswaldo , Olivari Jocelyn
Published: March 2024

Traditionally the Peruvian context has been unfavorable for innovation by local firms in the mining sector. However, some firms have managed to innovate despite these conditions in recent years. The aim of this paper is to understand the factors and incentives that foster or hinder innovation in the Peruvian mining industry. Through the study of the experiences of a group of local suppliers, the mechanisms that lead to innovative activities are identified and analyzed. Special attention is paid to the role of interaction between contractors and large mining companies in the framework of Global Value Chains, as well as to the innovative efforts of some local suppliers. Evidence shows that innovation by local suppliers in the Peruvian mining sector has a limited scope and some particular characteristics. First, local suppliers who manage to innovate are mainly incumbent firms whose experience in the market allowed them to integrate into the mining value chain. Second, most of these firms are usually supported by their relationships with larger national or international companies. Third, the more important innovations seem to be concentrated in specific sectors where there is less foreign competition because of their specificity to the Peruvian context.
Study of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystems in the Latin American Pacific Alliance Countries: Case Study: Echale a tu casa, Mexico
Authors:   Multilateral Investment Fund,   Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo
Published: March 2024

This report sets out to present some of the highlights from a more in depth study carried out on social entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems in Mexico, presenting the case study of Echale a tu casa. Echale offers an affordable and sustainable housing solution for vulnerable communities, which includes community development, financial education, low cost financing, environmental education and local employment.
The Impact of Upgrading Municipal Infrastructure on Property Prices: Evidence from Brazil
Authors: Acevedo Paloma , Hobbs Jason , Martinez Sebastian
Published: March 2024

We evaluate the effects of municipal infrastructure upgrades on property prices in the Municipality of Campo Grande, Brazil. Using detailed administrative data on property characteristics and sales prices, we implement a differences-in-differences methodology that compares treated and comparison neighborhoods over time to estimate the effects of road infrastructure improvements and revitalization of urban parks. We find that road improvements are highly cost-effective, producing an increase of 6.1% in property prices which translate into a return of $4.25 per dollar invested. On the other hand, we find no effects of the urban parks intervention.
Desarrollo agroforestal de la cuenca del Río Jamao: Ejemplo de sostenibilidad económica y ambiental
Authors: Díaz G. Cristina Ercira
Published: March 2024

El presente trabajo presenta el ejemplo de de Sostenibilidad Económica y Ambiental de la Cuenca del Río Jamao en Republica Dominicana en donde se documenta la resolución de los siguientes interrogantes: ¿Qué hacer?, ¿Cómo crear conciencia en los pobladores de esta Cuenca del Río Jamao de que el deterioro de los suelos y la reducción de este importantísimo afluente no sólo los afectaba a ellos sino a una gran parte de toda la zona central de la isla?, ¿Cómo motivarlos, primero a organizarse, a activar sus organizaciones comunitarias existentes y a través de ellas orientarse, capacitarse, empoderarse y hacer que participaran en la creación de alternativas viables para los graves problemas encontrados?
Análisis prospectivo de las capacidades institucionales y de gestión de los gobiernos subnacionales en Chile
Authors: Valenzuela Juan Pablo
Published: March 2024

Reconociendo la relevancia creciente que tienen los gobiernos subnacionales en la gestión pública y los importantes desafíos que estos enfrentan para fortalecer la participación de los ciudadanos y generar una gestión de calidad y con altos grados de transparencia, este estudio tiene por objetivo realizar una descripción y un análisis prospectivo de las capacidades de gestión de las entidades subnacionales, en particular de los municipios, para lograr estándares crecientes en la calidad de su gestión
Capital social y cultura: Claves olvidadas del desarrollo
Authors: Kliksberg Bernardo
Published: March 2024

"Capital social y cultura: claves olvidadas del desarrollo" refleja la preocupación de su autor por examinar y redefinir al desarrollo desde una perspectiva que se despega del pensamiento económico convencional. Sin dejar de valorar el aporte de la teoría económica y la necesidad de herramientas técnicas en pos de un crecimiento económico sostenido, cuestiona su posición de privilegio dentro del proceso de desarrollo en detrimento de otros factores. A partir de aquí, el autor invita a ampliar el horizonte del desarrollo, invita a repensarlo como un proceso donde crecimiento económico sostenido y equitativo y progreso social respetuoso de lo diverso van de la mano y se potencian, con el fin de ampliar las oportunidades de los seres humanos, que es el verdadero fin del desarrollo. Cultura y capital social son, justamente, esas "claves olvidadas", esas "palancas formidables" para el desarrollo, como el mismo Kliksberg las califica. La primera, la cultura, subyace en todas las dimensiones, en todos los planos de una sociedad. Definida como "maneras de vivir juntos" por la Comisión Mundial de Cultura y Desarrollo de la UNESCO, la cultura es ese conjunto de valores, costumbres, ideas y muchos otros elementos compartidos que conforman la identidad de las personas. La cultura como "factor decisivo de cohesión social", según el mismo autor, es la base que da sustento al capital social.
Cómo exportar a la Unión Europea: Guía práctica para PyMEs en Centroamérica y Panamá
Authors:   Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
Published: March 2024

Si usted está interesado en expandir sus mercados y comenzar a exportar hacia Europa, esta guía puede serle útil. Ha sido creada, fundamentalmente, para pequeñas y medianas empresas (PyMEs) a las cuales les interesa recibir alguna directriz sobre el proceso de exportación. Aunque se describe el proceso general de exportación, el enfoque de esta guía está orientado a la exportación hacia la Unión Europea (UE); en este sentido, contiene información específica sobre aspectos tales como acuerdos comerciales, temas de mercado, regulaciones y trámites de importación, certificados, entre otros.
Promoción de la Equidad de Género en la Educación Básica: Programa Multifase para la Equidad de la Educación Básica: República Dominicana
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Diagnóstico Inicial del Proyecto de Promoción de la Equidad de Género en la Educación Básica que se desarrolló en el Programa Multifase para la Equidad de la Educación Básica.
Sistemas de gestión de recursos humanos en aduanas: Caracterización y opciones estratégicas para su modernización
Authors: Roca Carolina
Published: March 2024

Las aduanas demandan un sistema integrado de gestión de sus recursos humanos. En el primer apartado se fundamenta la propuesta metodológica que se presentará más adelante. Se expone el marco general que permite argumentar la importancia de la gestión del recurso humano para el desarrollo y efectividad de una organización; además, se caracteriza dicha gestión como sistema, que hace parte a su vez del sistema de comercio exterior global. En un segundo apartado se presenta el Sistema de Gestión de Recursos Humanos (SIGERH), con sus funciones, actores y determinantes internas y externas. Finalmente, en él se explican los Modelos de Gestión de Recursos Humanos; se inicia con el modelo por competencias y se culmina con el Modelo de Gestión de Recurso Humano en el Sector Público, que ha de orientar la gestión del recurso humano en las aduanas en particular.
Perfil de riesgo de desastres para Bolivia
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Una de las actividades fundamentales de la gestión del riesgo de desastres a nivel de país es la evaluación del riesgo de catástrofe. No obstante, pocas metodologías permiten realizar un análisis del riesgo a nivel nacional; primero, debido a la falta de información detallada que impide la conformación de bases de datos robustas para describir la exposición y, segundo, la falta de metodologías que permitan modelar de manera integrada las amenazas, lavulnerabilidad de los elementos expuestos y el riesgo que se deriva de su respectiva convolución. El objetivo principal del presente estudio es identificar y cuantificar el riesgo de desastres de Bolivia, utilizando un método que permita tener en cuenta las amenazas naturales en forma integral, que incluya una estimación de la exposición de los bienes de infraestructura, definición de vulnerabilidad específica de cada componente de dicha infraestructura y que finalmente permita la evaluación del riesgo mediante un proceso de cálculo probabilista del riesgo de desastres. Este informe presenta la evaluación del riesgo catastrófico para el país teniendo en cuenta que los terremotos son uno de las amenazas mayores para el país. El resultado del estudio indica que de ocurrir un terremoto a escala de 1 por 500 años del período de retorno, el país perdería más de US$2.485 millones del valor de la infraestructura; lo que equivale al 3.1% de la misma.