Gas exports to Argentina grew 19% in the first quarter of the year

Bolivian gas exports to Argentina grew by 19.10% during the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, according to official information from Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB).

The unemployment rate reaches 8.9%

The most current figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE) show that the unemployment rate in urban areas, as of February, reached 8.9%. The workers are demanding a 5% wage increase and the reinstatement of people fired during the pandemic. In response, the Government proposed a rise of 0.67%, the equivalent of Bs 14, to avoid a collapse of the country's economy.

Moody’s forecasts 3% of GDP going forward and warns of high debt

Moody's Investor Service Risk Rating Agency forecasts that Bolivia's economic growth this year will recover above 4%, but in the future, it will be at 3% and warns of risks regarding the high public debt and the fall in net international reserves (NIR).

Gas exports decrease 22% to the first quarter of 2021

Natural gas exports between January and March 2021 reached a value of $490.9 million, equivalent to a 22.1 per cent decrease compared to a similar period in 2020 when revenues reached $630.5 million.

Tigo Business inaugurates the first Data Center in Bolivia with a $20 million investment

Tigo Business launched its TIER III Data Center, the first world-class data centre in the country, part of 12 data centres in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Colombia. It is a storage and processing space created to help the most critical companies in Bolivia to improve and simplify their business processes through the intelligent management of their information: the essential asset of digitization.

Public investment reactivates construction with $185 million

Public investment increased by 47% ($185 million) concerning the same period in 2020 ($74 million), with infrastructure investment growing by 148.8% in this period, highlighting the reactivation of highway projects such as El Espino-Charagua-Boyuibe, the Cochabamba metropolitan train, the double-track central section El Sillar and the rehabilitation of the Santa Cruz-Trinidad highway.

35% of banana crops were affected by flooding in Chapare

Due to the overflowing of several rivers in the Chaparé region, 2,500 of the 7,000 hectares of banana crops were affected. This figure represents 35 per cent. The economic damage to producers exceeds $600,000.

Users will pay a 13% increase on digital services

The draft bill to extend the scope of the Value Added Tax (VAT) to foreign companies providing digital services in Bolivia will represent a 13 per cent increase in the price of services such as Netflix, Google, Amazon, Facebook and YouTube, among others, to be borne by the end consumer.

Rolando Kempff reelected as president of the National Chamber of Commerce

Rolando Kempff Bacigalupo was re-elected president of the National Chamber of Commerce (CNC). Mario Paredes Vargas will accompany him as first vice-president, Lukas Abendroth Spies as second vice-president, Pablo Torquato Salazar as treasurer and Douglas Ascarrunz Aramayo as pro-treasurer.

YPFB resumes negotiations to export urea for $80 mn

Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) retoma las negociaciones para exportar urea y encara la recta final de reactivación de la planta, que demandará 53 millones de dólares. La planta estará funcionando el segundo semestre de este año, periodo en el que también estima exportar urea granulada por 80 millones de dólares. YPFB resumes negotiations to export urea for $80 mn.