Maya Camacho, coverage analyst on the regional attractiveness unit of the Group for Financial Cooperation and Growth (OECD), was just lately in Guatemala to launch a regional funding attraction undertaking.
That is the primary mission referred to as “first-hand contact”, to satisfy and interview representatives from completely different sectors and later, one other mission of worldwide specialists will arrive. The thought is to supply suggestions and the execution of an motion plan, in any such tasks.
On April 25, development started on the Synergy Industrial Park advanced, with an funding of US$20 million, which can be positioned at kilometer 53 of the Pacific Freeway, promoted by the companies Spectrum and Grupo Pantaleón.
What’s the goal of your go to to Guatemala?
On this regional attraction unit, we’re growing a undertaking referred to as “rethinking the regional attractiveness for the inclusive and sustainable growth of Escuintla.”
Our primary goal is to assist Guatemala in strengthening its attractiveness for inclusive and sustainable growth, in step with the Authorities Plan and the ten axes that President Bernardo Arévalo has talked regarding to enhance the situations of residents.
It needs to be famous that Guatemala will not be a member of the OECD as such, however is a part of an arm of the group, the Growth Heart, which incorporates nations from Africa, Asia and Latin America to facilitate dialogue on public insurance policies with a give attention to rising and growing economies.
What does it imply?
Being members of the Growth Heart since 2019, we had the curiosity in growing the undertaking of rethinking the regional attractiveness and the curiosity in working with the Pantaleón Group, as a result of we wish to make the most of the potential of the economic park undertaking that the group is finishing up. , as a detonator for nationwide growth.
Since 2020, we’ve got been working in 10 nations in several areas on the subject of regional attractiveness as a result of there’s a altering international surroundings resulting from a number of modifications, from the Covid-19 disaster to the impression of the battle between Russia and Ukraine. This may be seen considerably removed from Latin America, however ultimately there’s a excessive impression on international worth chains and will increase in power charges that have an effect on inflation charges on a world scale.
In one thing that we name within the OECD “the impression of megatrends”, akin to local weather change, digitalization, demographic change and all these international impacts, we see that they happen in an uneven approach in nations and areas, however that they’ve affected completely different approach and that’s the reason we’ve got begun to work on make regional attractiveness a software for growth.
What are the principle antecedents of what you might be looking for to do?
Now we have labored in 25 areas, many in Europe, but additionally in Latin America. In Colombia with the Pacific area, in Chile in Valparaíso and Magallanes and in Argentina within the province of Misiones, which is on the border with Brazil. Our primary goal is to assist Guatemala to investigate public insurance policies of regional attraction.
What’s going to occur in Escuintla, Guatemala?
As an OECD, a prognosis can be carried out to supply suggestions on the change of fine practices that assist the inclusive and sustainable growth of the area, which incorporates the economic park and all its environment, as a result of particular financial zones are crucial as a set off and gear for regional growth.
It needs to be famous that industrial parks have usually been criticized as a result of they might have damaging externalities, however what we see as a constructive side right here is that there’s good inner and exterior governance. An financial zone and an industrial park generally is a catalyst for nationwide growth.
Generally, what’s the matter that the prognosis will tackle?
The Pantaleón Group is collaborating with the OECD with a report on the regional growth of Escuintla, which is of nice curiosity to us, as we’ve got indicated within the report “Financial Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean.” To realize sustainable growth in Latin American nations, the recipe we’ve got seen is that the degrees and high quality of funding should be elevated to set off this growth.
What is required, then, are proactive funding methods to speed up financial and social progress and thus treatment the structural challenges that exist. In Latin American nations, together with Guatemala, alternatives should be supplied within the industrial, well being, agro-industry and tourism sectors, adopting a brand new agenda to spice up development.
What axes can be analyzed?
Firstly, we analyze Escuintla’s place internationally, that’s, its attractiveness on a nationwide and subnational scale for the area.
Then, on the OECD there’s a methodology referred to as “regional attractiveness compass” and with the obtainable information, an analysis is product of all of the strengths and weaknesses of the area and we make an analysis with completely different indicators.
For instance, we’ve got six domains: financial attractiveness, land and housing, social cohesion, connectivity and surroundings and we consider how the world is positioned, so we’re going to create this compass of attractiveness to the Escuintla area.
Our curiosity is to not present or unhealthy rating, however merely to see how it’s positioned and creates an internationalization profile and from there, present public coverage suggestions.
As which?
In particular instances, enhance the enterprise and funding local weather; public governance via environment friendly rules with higher transparency; promote strategic sectors and development alternatives that exist already, akin to agriculture and renewable energies, in addition to focus funding on telecommunications, water, transportation and clear power infrastructure.
That’s, favor and promote higher high quality funding to implement a technique of productive growth and job creation.
When will the report be accomplished?
The undertaking is for one yr and by the top of 2024 there’ll in all probability be a draft, in order that it may be introduced at first of 2025.
What conclusions might be anticipated?
I’d not wish to advance any conclusions concerning the undertaking, however one thing vital is to do an institutional mapping and see how multilevel governance is achieved. How nationwide, native and subnational public actors coordinate with these of the non-public initiative, how they work together and see what challenges and alternatives there are.
We don’t solely analyse regional attractiveness with financial components akin to capital attraction, however the entire set on the stage of social well-being.
What follow-up is anticipated for the suggestions?
One a part of the undertaking is suggestions, however one other is implementation, in order that it’s not a report of suggestions that stays in a drawer, however slightly creating an motion plan and capabilities.
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