Information related to political affairs that have an impact on Bolivia’s economic development.
The Minister of Public Works, Iván Arias Durán, announced the creation of a Metropolitan Basin Authority to monitor the 16 rivers in Cochabamba and prevent natural disasters like the one in Tiquipaya that damaged 70 houses.
A $50 million trust has been created to support the forestry sector in Bolivia. The Government and the Bolivian Forestry Chamber (CFB) signed a cooperation agreement to allow the forestry sector to access international markets. The project contemplates $12 million for international customers of timber producers, under the modality of credit, with low interest during the next five years.
Bolivia’s Nuclear Energy Agency (ABEN), halted the construction of the Nuclear Development Research Center of El Alto, until the Legislative Assembly and the Office of the Attorney General, which have initiated audits of the project, are committed about it. Bolivia has already paid $351 million for the project. Russia’s Rusatom Overseas is in charge of the project.
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%.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in La Paz froze Bs.44 million ($6.4 million) from the accounts of Petróleos de Venezuela S. A. (PDVSA), reported Public Prosecutor Marco Villa. The measure is part of a legal process against former Minister of the Presidency, Juan Ramon Quintana.
Bolivia’s electoral court budgeted Bs.201 million ($29.1 million) for the next election in May. The budget is for the electoral process but not for the rebuilding of the infrastructure of local electoral courts.
Bolivia will hold a new presidential election on May 3 and political parties have until February 3 to present their candidates. The current elections will replace the one annulled last year amid allegations of fraud and forced the resignation of Evo Morales to the presidency.
Bolivia’s President, Jeanine Añez, named economist Guillermo Aponte Reyes as interim president of Bolivia’s Central Bank (BCB) and also nominated four interim directors: Luis Armando Pinell Siles, Walter Morales Carrasco, Jose Gabriel Espinoza Yañez and Roger Alejandro Vargas Rivero. Aponte Pensions Superintendent during the second government of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.
The agregated budget will be $40.5 billion and the consolidated will be $30.3 billion. The budget forecast an economic growth of 4.24% and inflation of over 3%. It also allocates $5.6 billion for public investment.
Bolivia is making a structural review of the road construction contracts with Chinese firms signed with the former government of Evo Morales, announced the Public Works Minister, Iván Arias. He added that the government is looking to change the term reference of the contracts.
