Questionnaire and survey methodology. Saint Lucia: Survey of living condition and household budgets 2005/2006

This manual documents some of the material related to the Survey of Living Conditions and Household Budgets (SLC/HBS) conducted in Saint Lucia by the Kairi Consultants Limited and National Assessment Team between 2005 and 2006. The SLC/HBS is a sample survey which generates data on households and individuals in the country. The main objectives of this survey were (i) to collect information from households on their expenditure patterns, income and other characteristics and; (ii) to revise the 'average shopping basket' used in constructing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the country…

A summary of the experiences of Chile and Colombia with unremunerated reserve requirements on capital flows during the 1990's

Financial integration among countries entails a series of well-known benefits. On the one hand, net inflows of external savings can complement national savings within an economy and therefore raise productive investment and income. On the other hand, capital mobility provides opportunities for portfolio diversification and risk sharing between countries and this may enable investors-both firms and households of particular countries- to achieve higher risk-adjusted rates of return. This in turn could encourage increases in savings and investment and therefore deliver faster rates of growth (Eic…

Brazil's emergence at the regional export leader in services: a case specialization in business services

Brazil has been the most dynamic country of Latin America and the Caribbean in global services trade in the 1990s and 2000s, but compared to other emerging economies elsewhere it is outperformed by China and India. Brazil's rising share in global services trade reflects mostly its increase in the world trade of other services, which include all services except transport and tourism. Brazilian exports of other services are concentrated in architecturalengineering and real estate services. In terms of destinations, the US market accounts for about one half and the European Union…

Evaluation report: regional training workshop on data sharing, data ownerhsip and the harmonization of survey datasets

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the statistical capacities of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in the region, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) convened a two-day Regional Training Workshop on Data Sharing, Data Ownership and Harmonization of Survey Datasets on 26-27 August 2009 at the Cascadia Hotel, Trinidad and Tobago. This workshop was one of the concluding activities of the Project on Improving Household Surveys in the Caribbean which has been implemented by the ECLAC Subregional office from 2007.…

Climate change: selected economic dimensions

The paper highlights several key economic issues of the climate change debate. Section I states the need to adopt a precautionary approach to the climate change challenge in the face of uncertainty; while Section II illustrates the key economic drivers of climate change. Section III provides an analysis of the economic gains and losses posed by climate change and the inequalities implied by the regional and sectoral distribution of these gains and losses; and Section IV explores potential economic tools for addressing climate change, namely emissions taxes, cap and trade regimes, command and…

Preliminary overview of the Caribbean economies, 2008-2009

This report addresses the main features of the evolution of Caribbean economies during 2008 and, especially, the prospects for 2009 in the context of the ongoing international financial crisis and economic turmoil. As is well known, small open economies, such as those of the Caribbean, are highly influenced by developments in the world economy through a variety of channels of transmission that include international trade, tourist arrivals, remittances, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and external financing. The intensity of these effects will depend, among other things, on the fiscal position,…

Income poverty and unsatisfied basic needs

Abstract This study consists of two substantive components that provide an overview of the different methodologies currently being applied to the measurement of multidimensional poverty for Mexico and Central America. In the first component a typology of different practical methodological concepts is organized according to how different methods deal with the two fundamental decisions in the measurement of poverty, identifying the poor and aggregating the groups into a single index value that is informative. The typology is able to encompass most different methods of multidimensio…

El Salvador: evolución económica durante 2008 y perspectivas para 2009

En 2008 el PIB real de El Salvador creció 2,5%, dos puntos porcentuales menos que en 2007, mientras que el PIB por habitante aumentó 0,9%, la tercera parte de la cifra registrada el año anterior. Al igual que en 2007, el sector de la agricultura presentó el mayor dinamismo. El Salvador: Economic evolution during 2008 and perspectives for 2009 Abstract: In 2008, the real GDP of El Salvador grew by 2,5%, two percentage points less than in 2007, while the GDP per inhabitant increased by 0,9%, equalling a third of the figure registered the previous year. Just like in 2007, the agricultu…

Analysis of selected millennium development goals in Nicaragua

This study presents an analysis of factors related to selected Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in education, health and water and sanitation in Nicaragua. Using available household survey data, complemented with selected supply side data, empirical econometric models of education enrolment, child mortality and the provision of water and sanitation are employed to examine the relationship of individual, household and municipal factors to the achievement of these MDGs. The MDG formulation also provides for a comparison of two different modelling methodologies, the standard logit estimation f…

Panamá: evolución económica durante 2008 y perspectivas para 2009

En 2008 la economía panameña mantuvo el intenso ritmo de crecimiento del PIB real y se expandió 9,2%, a pesar de haber desacelerado frente al 11,5% de 2007. El sector público no financiero (SPNF) registró un ligero superávit equivalente a 0,4% del PIB, cifra inferior al 3,5% registrado en 2007. Este resultado obedece a la reducción en la recaudación de fondos y el aumento de gastos corrientes para mitigar los efectos del alza de precios de los alimentos y el petróleo en el primer semestre del año. Panama: Economic evolution during 2008 and perspectives for 2009 Abstract: In 2008, …

Honduras: evolución económica durante 2008 y perspectivas para 2009

En 2008 la economía hondureña se expandió 4%, 2,3 puntos porcentuales por debajo de la tasa registrada en 2007. El crecimiento sectorial fue muy heterogéneo: las actividades con mayor dinamismo fueron la intermediación financiera (18,1%) y las comunicaciones (14%). La inflación interanual alcanzó 10,8%, impulsada principalmente por el alza en los precios internacionales de los alimentos y el petróleo. Gracias al tipo de cambio de paridad móvil imperante, Honduras pudo amortiguar parcialmente el aumento de la inflación. Honduras: Economic evolution during 2008 and perspectives for 2009…

Contribution of energy services to the Millennium Development Goals and to poverty alleviation in Latin America and the Caribbean: executive summary

The energy debate has one dimension that is often sidelined: its relationship with poverty and development. This document attempts to shed some light on this aspect, overlooked when public policies are being formulated.The document describes the results of the joint effort of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Club de Madrid, which highlight the crucial role of access to energy services in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.Access to energy services, as a basic factor for poverty reductio…

Macroeconomic policies in times of crisis: options and perspectives

The global economic crisis has put an end to a period of six consecutive years of growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, growth on a scale that had not been seen for decades. This crisis is different from those which had been seen in the past, not only because its origin is different but also because, as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has reported on several occasions, the region is much better prepared to deal with it. The favourable international environment which had been enjoyed by most of the countries of the region in recent years went hand in han…

Latin America: the missing financial crisis

This may well be the first time since Latin America gained its independence in the early 1800s that a major economic contraction and financial calamity in the industrialized world has not caused a wave of currency, sovereign debt or banking crises in the region. What explains Latin America's unprecedented resilience in contrast with, for example, Eastern Europe's now-evident financial vulnerability? Here we review the enormous progress made by many governments in Latin America in the past decade to reduce currency mismatches, allow for more flexible exchange-rate regimes, enhance the…

El Arco del Pacífico Latinoamericano después de la crisis

La presente publicación es un aporte de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), en respuesta a la solicitud del Gobierno de México, al quinto Foro Ministerial del Arco del Pacífico Latinoamericano y complementa el informe previo presentado a la cuarta reunión de dicho foro celebrada en Santiago en octubre de 2008. Este documento tiene por objeto brindar a los gobiernos una perspectiva actualizada del impacto de la crisis financiera internacional, tanto en los países asiáticos como en los latinoamericanos, sus implicancias para los futuros vínculos económicos y comerci…

Ampliación de la cobertura de microfinanzas en el área rural del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia: un diagnóstico cualitativo de los esfuerzos actuales y desafíos

El presente trabajo de investigación, es una exploración que busca, sobre todo, poder señalar los posibles caminos a seguir en Bolivia en el desarrollo de las microfinanzas en general y en el área rural en particular. Se basó en entrevistas y visitas de campo y se realizó entre julio y agosto de 2008. Dos fueron los ejes en los que se movió esta investigación: 1.-El rol de las microfinanzas para combatir la pobreza.2.-Tratar de descubrir como lograr que las instituciones microfinancieras presten servicios financieros productivos en el área rural. Asimismo, detalla las posibles acciones para:Am…

Report on training workshop on the use of the ECLAC damage and loss assessment (DALA) methodology for the evaluation of natural resources

The outlook for agriculture and rural development in the Americas: a perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean, 2009

In order to give decision makers in this Hemisphere a consensual reference document,the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the UnitedNations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institutefor Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) decided to join forces to prepare this report ontrends in the agricultural sector and rural areas. It is based on a common data base and aseries of indicators available to all interested parties at www.agriruralc.org.These three institutions intend to make this document the first of a regular series ofpublications, w…

Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy 2008-2009: Crisis and opportunities for regional cooperation

La edición 2008-2009 del Panorama de la inserción internacional de América Latina y el Caribe se divide en tres capítulos. En el capítulo I se analiza la coyuntura económica internacional con una mirada de mediano plazo. Se presta especial atención a las variables que más pueden modificar el escenario global y afectar la inserción internacional de las economías de América Latina y el Caribe. Como ejemplo de los cambios que está generando o acentuando la crisis cabe destacar la creciente importancia de las economías emergentes, con el consiguiente impacto sobre las corrientes comerciales de la…