Information regarding Bolivia’s productive sector and the country’s macroeconomy.
The National Tax Service (SIN) reported that tax collections in January of this year grew 2.8%, compared to the same month in 2019, reaching $388 million. According to the SIN, the increase was the recovery of sectors such as hydrocarbons and mining.
State oil company YPFB loses about $60 million per year from the operation of the natural gas liquefaction plant (LNG), according to estimates made by the consultancy Gas Energy Latin America (GELA). To date, the infrastructure operates on average 10% of its installed capacity. It is a 10 million cubic foot (MMpcd) liquefaction plant (MMpcd) and 33 regasification stations in remote populations in Bolivia, costing about $250 million.
Sales to Bolivia from the Iquique Free Zone (Zofri) in northern Chile fell by 20% in 2019. Data published by Zofri on its website shows that, in 2018, Bolivia bought goods worth $617 million, while last year sales reached $494 million.
he Bolivian Stock Exchange (BSE) moved $1.8 billion in 2019, a figure lower than 30% than in 2018, due to the uncertainty generated by the cancelled elections of October 20 and more inferior liquidity in the market. However, demand for companies seeking to finance the public stock exchange grew; $550 million placed in new broadcasts in 2018 and $750 million in 2019. The outlook for 2020 is to reach $12 billion traded.
On Indigenous territories in Bolivia that have secured property rights, deforestation rates are 2.8 times lower than outside of them. Such lands cover 20% of the country’s territory, so the contribution of Indigenous peoples in Bolivia to fighting climate change is substantial. Source: Phys
The Government set for this year, a contribution of between 2% and 4% of the profits of the financial institutions to the Guarantee Funds for productive loans and social housing. Within this framework, these funds already have $US 427 million. By 2020, commercial banks will contribute with 2% of their 2019 profits and SMBs banks will contribute with 4%.
Natural gas, gold and zinc accounted for 66% of Bolivia’s exports in 2019; between the three added sales worth $5.8 billion of the total traded, according to the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE), based on data from the National Statistical Institute (INE). This year, the country expects to improve domestic foreign trade with the export liberation of agricultural products and their by-products.
The State General Budget (PGE) 2020 projects a public investment of $5.2 billion; of this amount 38.8% will go to productive projects, 30.9% for infrastructure and 26.6% for the social sector, thus prioritizing public investment with economic impact.
The Program projects a growth rate of 3.5% and inflation of 3.4%. Its objectives are to maintain macroeconomic stability, to boost the domestic market, to encourage investment and to support the development of productive activities. The programme envisages a downward trajectory of the deficit until 2022, maintaining an appropriate balance between fiscal sustainability, economic growth and the preservation of social protection mechanisms.
Bolivia closed past management with annualized inflation of 1.47%, the lowest rate of the last decade, underpinned by a negative record in December of 1.54% compared to November. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded a negative change of 0.03% in January compared to December 2019. Prices fell, mainly from the food and non-alcoholic beverages division, closed 2019 with annual inflation of 1.47%
