In Chile, Indigenous Groups Push Back developments slowing growth
Negotiations with Indigenous Groups as well as mounting environmental awareness by the general public have slowed or blocked more than $20 billion US in power stations, gold and copper mines, and transmission lines, according to company statements and a study by Matias Abogabir, head of indigenous affairs during former President Sebastián Piñera’s administration.(Abogabir now advises companies on indigenous relations.) After a decade-long copper boom that made Chile the richest country in Latin America,…
Income gap shrinks in Chile, for better or worse
(This article was written by Eduardo Porter and was published in The New York Times on December 2, 2014) Chile is a stellar performer by almost any standard. Income per person has grown fourfold over the last quarter-century. Today,many Chileans, rightly, see their nation as within shouting range of the advanced industrial world. Yet for all its economic success, the shanties sprawling outside of town are a sharp reminder that Chile has still not shaken the curse that has plagued Latin America for centuries:…
Argentina outspends the rest of Latin America in education
Argentina outspends the rest of Latin America in education Argentina is one of the biggest investors in education throughout Latin America, according to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development study, which noted that Argentina allocated 6.3 percent of its GDP to education in 2012, compared to the five-percent average for the region and 5.6 percent for the OECD as a whole. The OECD is made up by an estimated 80 countries. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner praised the study yesterday,…
Why Potential Investors in Chile should not use the Investor Visa
The “Investor Visa” in Chile although easy to obtain in the first year is much more difficult to keep in the second year. With the investor visa you are essentially making the Chilean department of immigration your business partner in Chile. First, to apply for an investor visa in Chile you must submit a business plan along with documentation related to things such as financing, incorporation plans, possibly any partnerships, and so on. This normally increases dramatically upfront cost required and time…
Lapostolle Residence, Colchagua Valley, Chile
When Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle came to Chile’s Colchagua Valley two decades ago, the area was a viticultural backwater. But the Grand Marnier heiress, who cofounded the valley’s Lapostolle winery in 1994, was convinced she could coax first growth–quality vintages from the granitic soil. Her premier blend, Clos Apalta, attests her prescience, most convincingly with its selection as Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 2008. That same year, Lapostolle launched another Colchagua Valley first: a luxury…
A new study shows Argentina is a relatively safe country in which to live
WHO figures show Argentina is relatively safe country in world’s most violent region Homicide rates in Latin America are the highest in the world — clocking in at 28.5 per 100,000 inhabitants — but estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) place Argentina in line with the best in the region with about six homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the WHO, in 2012 165,617 people were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean, making up about 35 percent of the the 475,000 homicides committed…
Chilean agriculture is expected to become part of the 10 largest food exporters in the world by 2020
Agriculture in Chile is a strategically important sector. The objective is to make Chile part of the 10 largest food exporters in the world by 2020. At the moment Chile is round about No: 20. From the beginning of this century food export increased by an average of 12% annually. Further processing and surplus values are central in the policy. Primary production is only a small part of the gross national product. Because of the closed-in position of the country sanitary provisions are second to none and these…
Is the International money transfer system about to change due to US Interference in the existing one ?
You probably know the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) system as that little jumble of letters and numbers you need every time you send money to a foreign bank account. It’s the global banking system’s address book and postal system. SWIFT has more than 10,000 members in more than 200 countries, and handles more than 15 million messages daily. But even though SWIFT is based in Belgium, and subject to EU law, the U.S. government claims legal authority over all SWIFT transactions…
How to choose an effective selling broker in South America
South America’s real estate market can be characterised by two important facts. Properties take longer to sell and have higher transaction costs than in most Western countries Why? Although it is slowly changing there is considerable informal selling both by vendors directly and speculative pricing. The end result is a confused market with little price transparency and few skilled brokers available. (Selling skills can be obtained two ways; by experience through selling large numbers of properties or by specialised…
Foreigners can retire Income Tax Free in Chile
Retire Income Tax Free in Chile! Chile does not impose income tax on foreign pensions or social security of foreigners with residency in Chile. This is in addition to other tax benefits for all new residents of Chile, such as the three year foreign income tax exemption or any dual tax treaties that may exist between Chile and other countries. No income tax on Foreign Pensions and Social Security in Chile! One of the greatest benefits of retiring in Chile even if you are not really near retirement age is the…
Southern Chile economy is booming
The Southern region of Chile has the most dynamic and fastest-growing economy in the country. Magallanes region in the extreme south of Chile, was the most dynamic of the country’s economy during the third quarter of the year according to the latest release from the local stats office, INE. This contrasts with the rest of the fourteen regions of the country of which six, reported negative growth. The Regional Economic Activity Indicator, Inacer, showed that in the third quarter, the regions of Magallanes,…
EXPENSES AND THE CHILEAN TAXATION SYSTEM
Tax Expenses: What types of expenses does Chile’s IRS allow a company to deduct from its financial profit (gross income)? It is common knowledge that companies must only pay taxes from the profit forming part of its taxable base and that which they have made during a certain tax period. The taxable base corresponds to the financial profit of a tax period, inclusive of adjustments. In Chile, the corporate tax rate applied to gross income currently stands at 20%. However, Chile’s recent tax reform is set…
Andres Oppenheimer: Latin America maybe doing better than it seems
Andres Oppenheimer: As we anticipated in a recent column, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have just released pretty grim economic forecasts for Latin America in 2015. But the truth is, only three big countries will do badly — and the rest of the region will do pretty well. Both the IMF and the World Bank, which held their annual meetings in Washington, D.C., last week, estimated that Latin America and the Caribbean will grow by a meager 2.2 percent next year, one of the region’s worst…
Where are Chinese retail Investors putting their money ?
WHERE CHINESE ARE HEADING This year, South Korea, Thailand and Japan are the top 3 countries for China’s rising middle-class travelling overseas. South Korea received a boost from its popular soap operas – which China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan is even a fan of. Japan’s weakened yen makes for affordable travel, and Thailand became more attractive to Chinese travellers due to its loosened visa requirements. For China’s affluent, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Dubai are considered…
Startups businesses surge in South America
(This article was written by Mark Lennon and Christine Magee and was published on July 1, 2014 on CrunchBase, for which they work as analysts.) Winter is coming in South America, but for investors and entrepreneurs things are starting to heat up across the continent. New tech communities are sprouting up in South America to serve the 200M+ population that is increasingly reliant on internet and mobile technology. In June the accelerator program Start-Up Chile announced Generation Ten, its latest batch of…
