28 de enero  2001 

Latin America and the Caribbean Banco Mundial "In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the absolute number of poor barely decreased in the 1990s and income distribution remains the most unequal of any region in the developing world. Poverty fell from 39.7 percent in 1992 to 35.8 percent in 1998, but 180 million people still lived with less than US$2 per day in 1998 and the poorest 30 percent of the population received only 8 percent of income"

Social Capital and Suatainable development: the role of formal and informal institutions in a developing country "The concept of “social capital” has added a new dimension to the dialogue on development. While institutions have long been considered as significant in development theory, viewing the density of formal and informal institutions for development as “social capital” formalizes the link with other kinds of inputs into development and brings them center-stage.1 This paper shall argue that such a formalisation enables us to understand better, the nature of inputs into processes aimed at achieving 'sustainable development' at local decentralized levels. These processes are impacted, in particular, by the extent of reaching out by individual agents across the traditional divides between state, market and non-market institutions which a society’s social capital makes possible. A careful study of three developmental interventions in different parts of India substantiates the above
hypothesis"

Social Protection Sector Strategy "According to its new social protection strategy report — From Safety Net to Springboard — which is currently being piloted in various Latin American countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala and Uruguay, the World Bank says that less than a quarter of the world's population is protected at any time by government safety nets. Less than 5 percent can rely on their own savings, land, or other private assets to weather crises such as economic downturn, civil war, or natural disasters such as last week's earthquake that devastated El Salvador, killing hundreds of people and leaving many thousands more homeless. In fact, between 1990 and 1997, more than 80 percent of all developing countries experienced at least one year of negative per capita output growth as a result of these setbacks"
 

Endeudamiento: La creciente adicción de Argentina "El FMI asiste al despilfarro del país del sur otorgando espaldas al gasto desenfrenado de políticos sin visión de futuro"

Relations with Cuba Poner fin al embargo. Recomendaciones de Política Pública para 107º Congreso. ‘‘Different policies might have worked, might have been taken. But the die has been cast. Years ago we decided on this strategy and we are in the end game now. It is too late to change strategy.’’ But even many people who may agree with Torricelli’ s position recognize, as Cuban exile Carlos Alberto Montaner does, that ‘‘ the embargo, at this stage of the game, is probably a strategic error, political clumsiness from Washington which provides Castro with an alibi.’’ In fact, it is not too late to change strategy and the ‘‘ endgame’’ may yet take years to complete. U.S. clumsiness, unfortu-nately, increases the likelihood of a violent Cuban transition into which the United States would unnecessarily be drawn. A better policy would recognize that, while Castro may be a clever political manipulator, his economic forecasting and planning have been dismal. Supporters of the embargo casually assume that Castro wants an end to the embargo because he believes that step would solve his economic problems. More likely, Castro fears the lifting of the U.S. sanctions. It is difficult to believe, for example, that he did not calculate a strong U.S. response when he ordered the attack on two U.S. planes in early 1996. It is time for Washington to stop playing into Castro’ s hands and instead pull the rug out from under him by ending the embargo"

Banco Mundial: Panamá land administration project loan amount: IBRDUS$47.9 million "Terms: Loan: Maturity=15 years; grace period=5 years PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will help Panama improve land administration services covering two-and-a-half million hectares. It will enable small-scale farmers, including women and indigenous people, to obtain title to land they currently hold informally, or to which they have been denied access. The project will launch a long-term, nation-wide effort to modernize Panama's land-titling and registry system, with emphasis on small farmers, tenant women, indigenous peoples, and owners of small plots in and around urban areas. It will also support the demarcation of 600,000 hectares of priority protected areas and indigenous areas, including the Ngobe Bugle and Kuna Yala comarcas, and the indigenous territory of the Teribe-Naso"
 

El régimen impositivo para la microempresa en Cuba  Archibald R. M. Ritter Cepal "El número de microempresas registradas aumentó rápidamente:llegó a 169 098 en diciembre de 1994, y a un máximo de 208 786 en diciembre de 1995. El nivel real de empleo era mayor que el número de microempresas ya que frecuentemente se empleaba a miembros de la familia,y otros a menudo abastecían de insumos a microempresas registradas...El régimen impositivo de Cuba para la microempresa tiene varios defectos que lo hacen inequitativo,deterioran la eficiencia de la asignación de recursos en la eco nomía y reducen su eficacia para recaudar impuestos. Los problemas derivan principalmente de la “regla del 10%” y del carácter y monto de los impuestos de cuota fija que deben pagarse cada mes cualesquie ra sean los ingresos"

Microempres- Informe de Avances Verano 2000 "El primer artículo de este número de Verano 2000, examina algunos de los esfuerzos internacionales para facilitar el proceso de registro de empresas y demostrar que existen acciones concretas para los gobiernos de América Latina pueden tomar para mejorar la situación en sus países. El registro de empresas es el primer punto de contacto entre un microempresario y el gobierno, y por lo tanto establece el tono de la futura relación. En la mayoría de los países de América Latina esta relación no comienza de la forma más positiva, debido a los rigurosos requisitos legales necesarios para registrar un negocio, considerados altamente costosos en tiempo y dinero para el microempresario. Es común que el proceso tome varios meses y requiera varios miles de dólares en cargos. En el segundo artículo se responden algunas preguntas acerca de la relación de la Microempresa y la Pobreza, utilizando datos de un estudio reciente del BID en América Latina. Son pobres algunos o todos de los propietarios y empleados de las microempresas? Si esto es cierto, que tan pobres son?. Las mujeres, los jóvenes y los trabajadores con ingresos rurales, tienden a ser más pobres?. La pobreza está concentrada en ciertas industrias como la de manufactura, comercio o servicios?"