Plurinational State of Bolivia
Capital: Sucre HDI: 0.662 (119th)
Language: Spanish
GDP (PPP): $73.879 Billion
Currency: Boliviano
Population: 11,410,651
Bolivia , officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia is a landlocked country located in western-central South America. It is bordered to the north and east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, to the southwest by Chile, and to the northwest by Peru. One-third of the country is the Andean mountain range, with its largest city and principal economic centers located in the Altiplano. Before Spanish colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was part of the Inca Empire, while the northern and eastern lowlands were inhabited by independent tribes. Spain built its empire in great part upon the silver that was extracted from Bolivia’s mines.
Modern Bolivia is constitutionally a democratic republic, divided into nine departments. Its geography varies from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the Eastern Lowlands, situated within the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country, with a medium ranking in the Human Development Index and a poverty level of 53 percent.[9] Its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and manufacturing goods such as textiles, clothing, refined metals, and refined petroleum. Bolivia is very wealthy in minerals, especially tin.
RESEARCH
Economic Overview
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Bolivia Economy – overview
http://www.indexmundi.com/bolivia/economy_overview.html
Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment and growth.
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Bolivia Overview – World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bolivia/overview
World Bank Economic Report for 2104. Thanks to high commodity prices and a prudent macroeconomic policy, economic growth has averaged 4.9% since 2004. The country has had current account surpluses since 2003 and significant fiscal surpluses between 2006 and 2013. In 2014, the fiscal deficit exceeded 3% of GDP due mainly to extraordinary expenses incurred in response to natural disasters at the beginning of the year.
Industry Trends & Business Climate
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Bolivia GDP Growth Rate
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/gdp-growth
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Bolivia expanded 3.51 percent in the first quarter of 2015 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in Bolivia averaged 2.19 percent from 1991 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 17.60 percent in the first quarter of 2004 and a record low of -15.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. GDP Growth Rate in Bolivia is reported by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Bolivia.
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Economy of Bolivia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Bolivia
The economy of Bolivia is the 95th largest economy in the world in nominal terms and the 87th economy in terms of purchasing power parity. It is classified by the World Bank to be a lower middle income country
Establishing a Presence
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Business Types – [PDF]DOING BUSINESS IN BOLIVIA
http://www.bomchilgroup.org/doing_business_in_latin_america/Doing_Business_in_Bolivia_the_Bomchil_group.pdf
The most common business enterprises incorporated under Bolivian law are Corporations and …. activities in Bolivia by complying with a special registration
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Starting a Business in Bolivia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/bolivia/starting-a-business
a detailed summary of the bureaucratic and legal hurdles faced by entrepreneurs wishing to incorporate and register a new firm in Bolivia.
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Establishing a Company in Bolivia
http://www.latia.org/establishing-a-company-in-bolivia
The Ministry of Productive Development and Plural Economy, the Audit Authority and Social Control – FUNDAEMPRESA have worked together to provide business investors with practical guidelines to register and incorporate companies in Bolivia with the Registry of Commerce.
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Bolivia – Doing Business
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/bolivia/~/media/giawb/doing%20business/documents/profiles/country/BOL.pdf
Comprehensive report on all aspects of doing business in Bolivia from the World bank. PDF Downloadable.
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Start-up procedures to register a business (number) in Bolivia
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/start-up-procedures-to-register-a-business-number-wb-data.html
Start-up procedures to register a business (number) in Bolivia
Taxes
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Corporate Taxes – Paying Taxes in Bolivia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/bolivia/paying-taxes/
Paying Taxes in. Bolivia. Below is a detailed summary of the taxes and mandatory contributions that a medium-size company must pay or withhold in a given
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Corporate Taxes – Bolivia Corporate Tax Rate
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/corporate-tax-rate
The Corporate Tax Rate in Bolivia stands at 25 percent.
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Personal Income Taxes – Bolivia Personal Income Tax Rate
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/personal-income-tax-rate
The Personal Income Tax Rate in Bolivia stands at 13 percent.
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Sales Tax – Bolivia Sales Tax Rate
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/sales-tax-rate
The Sales Tax Rate (VAT) in Bolivia stands at 13 percent. In Bolivia, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the highest rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Bolivia.
Visas
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Work Permit for Bolivia
http://www.bolivia.alloexpat.com/bolivia_information/work_permit_bolivia.php
If a foreign national desires to prolong his/her stay beyond the 90 allowable days under the Specific Purpose visa, he/she must apply for a Temporary Residence Visa.
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Bolivia visa application form, requirements and instructions
http://bolivia.travisa.com/
Travisa Passport and Visa Service for Bolivia visa application. Bolivian visa support for business, tourist, and all types of travel to Bolivia.
Infrastructure
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Getting around Bolivia on local transport
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/bolivia/transport/getting-around/local-transport
A summary of all forms of public transportation in Bolivia
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Getting around | About Bolivia
http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/south-america/bolivia/getting-around/
Bolivia’s topography, size and lack of basic infrastructure means that getting around is often a challenge. The majority of Bolivia’s road network is unpaved, and most main roads are in a poor condition.
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Telecom/IT – Bolivia Telephone system – Telecommunications
http://www.indexmundi.com/bolivia/telephone_system.html
Telephone system: general assessment: Bolivian National Telecommunications Company was privatized in 1995 but re-nationalized in 2007; the primary trunk system is being expanded and employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; system operations, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved.
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Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Digital Media
http://www.budde.com.au/Research/Bolivia-Telecoms-IP-Networks-and-Digital-Media-Statistics-and-Analysis.html
The structure of Bolivia’s fixed telecom market is different from most other countries. Local services are primarily provided by 15 telecom cooperatives.
Employer Obligations
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[PDF]LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT DESK BOOK BOLIVIA
http://www.lexmundi.com/Document.asp?DocID=1311
PDF Download: Do you have a plant closing law in your jurisdiction and if so, what does it require … Bolivian law follows the principal of employment unremovability, furthermore
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Labor Market Regulation in Bolivia
http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/bolivia/labor-market-regulation
This site provides a detailed summary of some of the labor regulations that would apply to local entrepreneurs wishing to hire workers, organize working schedules, or make workers redundant for economic reasons in Bolivia.
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Social Insurance – Unemployment Regulations Bolivia
http://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/3947/Unemployment%20in%20Bolivia%3a%20Risks%20and%20Labor%20Market%20Policies.pdf;jsessionid=3329752E83D871406CFA18A08B325227?sequence=1
See Section 3 of this PDF download in this report from the Inter-American Development Bank
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Social Insurance Bolivia Social Security
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-2011/americas/bolivia.html
No statutory unemployment benefits are provided. Labor law requires employers to grant severance pay to dismissed employees. Dismissed workers are covered for medical and maternity benefits for up to two months after employment ceases.
Culture/Living
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Standard of Living – Cost of Living in Bolivia
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Bolivia
Cost of living information includes price indices for rent, food, utilities, transportation, restaurants, clothing and more
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Business Etiquette – BoliviaBella.com
http://www.boliviabella.com/business-etiquette.html
The most important thing to know about business etiquette in Bolivia is that Bolivians prefer to do business with people they know and trust and will often keep their business dealings within a close-knit family
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Business Etiquette – Bolivia – Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/bolivia.html
Spanish is the main and official language of Bolivia. However there are some 39 other living languages used in the country spoken by people in different regions. Examples include Aymara, Chiquitano, Chiriguano and Guyara.
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Safety – Crime and Safety Report – OSAC
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=14183
Most major cities in Bolivia have “Medium” threat ratings for crime, while Santa Cruz remains “High” on the Department of State’s threat rating scale. Violent crimes such as assault and robberies against foreigners are statistically low but do occur. In general, if tourists take basic security precautions, they may walk the streets in most areas of major cities without becoming victims of crime.
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Safety in Bolivia
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/bolivia.html
Go to “Safety and Security” on this US Department of State site
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Climate – Bolivia Weather, Climate and Geography
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/bolivia/weather-climate-geography
Bolivia has a temperate climate but temperatures can differ dramatically between day and night. The wettest period is November to March, which, in extreme circumstances, may induce landslides in mountainous areas, and cause certain roads to become impassable. Winter is perhaps the best time to visit (May-October), especially in the hot and humid lowlands, as it is cooler and drier.
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Climate – Weather and Climate in Bolivia
https://www.bolivianlife.com/weather-and-climate-in-bolivia/
Consisting of temperate valleys, semi-arid highlands, humid jungles and balmy lakeside villages, Bolivia’s weather differs greatly depending on the altitude and topography of the region.
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Education in Bolivia
http://www.boliviabella.com/education.html
The Bolivian public education system is very lacking in terms of organization and quality, although improvements are ongoing. The schools are often not well maintained, and many don’t have adequate furnishings or classroom materials. Teachers often go on strike (closing down the schools for days or weeks on end) to protest for higher wages or other issues. Foreigners moving to Bolivia generally choose to stay away from the Public Schools, including the state universities.
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Education & Schools – Bolivia Education System
http://www.classbase.com/countries/Bolivia/Education-System
The Bolivian school education system is flawed in many ways. School time is split into 2 shifts (morning and afternoon) so everything is compressed and there is little time for things that make education pleasurable. State schools are underfunded and in poor repair too. The first 6 years at primary school are free and theoretically compulsory, although in practice approximately 20% of children receive no benefit.
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Holidays and observances in Bolivia
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/bolivia/
Overview of holidays and many observances in Bolivia
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Demographics Profile
http://www.indexmundi.com/bolivia/demographics_profile.html
Demographic information includes population, quality of life, health, sports, technology, energy and the environment
Trade
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Import/Export Regulations
http://www.sice.oas.org/ctyindex/bol/BOLNatlDocs_e.asp
Organization of American States: INFORMATION on BOLIVIA. Trade Policy Review of Bolivia (all files are in PDF format).
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Trade Agreements – OAS Bolivian Trade Agreements
http://www.sice.oas.org/ctyindex/bol/BOLagreements_e.asp
Organization of American States: Bolivian Trade Agreements(all files are in PDF format).
Housing and Rentals
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Bolivia Hotels, Hostels & Accommodation
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bolivia/hotels
Bolivian accommodations are among South America’s cheapest, though price and value are hardly uniform. Be aware that with the exception of the international hotel chains, the star ratings for hotels are not based on the recognized international rating system.
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Renting an Apartment or House in Bolivia
http://www.southamericaliving.com/renting-an-apartment-or-house-in-bolivia/
It is easy to rent (alquilar in Spanish) in Bolivia and depending on the location there are usually many options to choose from.
Travel
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Bolivia te espera
http://www.bolivia.travel/
Bolivian Ministry of Tourism and Travel
NETWORKING
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