Information regarding the business sector.
Contraband of alcoholic beverages costs Bolivia $ 220 million per year, warned the president of the National Beverage Chamber (Canabe), Karina Herbas. Each week 2,000 bottles of alcoholic drinks issued illegally are seized in the country.
Bolivia will export its first shipment of quinoa to China through the Peruvian port of Ilo, announced president Evo Morales. Bolivia has a concession in Ilo, and president Morales said that 40 tonnes of the traditional Andean cereal will be sent to China this week. He added that the use of the Peruvian port will help to avoid the delays and problems that Bolivian exports suffer in Chile. Morales stated that although the volume is low, it is the first effort to open the Chinese market.
Cerveceria Boliviana Nacional (CBN) and Embol Coca-Cola were listed as the most prominent firms in Bolivia by MERCO Empresas, an international firm that analyses the reputation of companies in Spain and Latin America. According to MERCO, CBN is the company with the best reputation in Bolivia, followed by Embol. In the area of corporate social responsibility and corporative governance, Embol heads the ranking followed by the Cooperative Rural de Electrificacion (CRE) and CBN.
A total of 22 retailers that will show 60 models and sugar mills that produce bio-ethanol will attend the 4th car-fair in Santa Cruz. Bio-ethanol began to be commercialised las 1 November for the first time in Bolivia.
The Bolivian government has invested Bs.50 million in Mallku Khota mine since its reversion to the state in 2013. However, the Mining Minister, Cesar Navarro, noted that the project needs an injection of $US620 million to allow the exploitation of 15,000 to 40,000 tonnes of minerals per day. He added that the government consider a joint venture for the project.
San Buenaventura Sugarmill (EASBA) could invest $US4 million in the production of bio-ethanol, according to its manager, Ramiro Lizondo. The investment would be destined to the construction a dehydration plant with a capability of at least 200,000 litres per day. Enough to allow the company to compete in the biofuels market in Bolivia.
The nationalised Mallku Khota mine could benefit Bolivia with $US 8.8 bn based in its deposits of silver, plumber, zinc and gallium. Bolivia won an international arbitrage against Canada’s Andean Silver and will have to pay only $US18.7 million to the Canadian firm.
Siemens began the construction of a training and service centre in Bolivia to support electric-energy exportation projects in the country. The German firm will invest $US21 million in the centre.
Petrobras is considering to buy less Bolivian gas, according to the Brazilian publication O Globo. The president of Petrobras, Roberto Castello Branco said that he wants to review the contract with Bolivia. Under the agreement, Petrobras is committed to buying 24 million cubic metres (Mcm) of gas per day, and there were moments that the shipments reached 30Mcm per day. Petrobras wants to buy only 15Mcm as the demand in the local market was low, and the company has enough reserves to cover the domestic market.
An international arbitration court ruled that Bolivia should pay $US18 million to South American Silver Limited for the reversion of Mallku Khota mine in Potosi. South American Silver, a Canadian firm, demanded Bolivia in 2013 asking for $US 385.7 million in compensation. The government insisted that the Canadian company invested $US18 million and offered to pay only this sum. The international arbitration court ruled in favour of Bolivia in this case.
