Paraguay – Reasons to Invest and live there

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Paraguay recent election results have confirmed the business-friendly environment will continue.

Paraguay produces the highest per capita surplus of electricity worldwide from the Itaipu Dam giving it a stable income base that is even stronger than its agricultural exports.

Construction Details

• The course of the seventh biggest river in the world was shifted, as were 50 million tons of earth and rock.
• The amount of concrete used to build the Itaipu Power Plant would be enough to build 210 football stadiums the size of the Estádio do Maracanã.
• The iron and steel used would allow for the construction of 380 Eiffel Towers.
• The volume of excavation of earth and rock in Itaipu is 8.5 times greater than that of the Channel Tunnel and the volume of concrete is 15 times greater.
• Around forty thousand people worked in the construction.
  
• Itaipu is one of the most expensive construction projects ever built.

Generating station and dam

• The total length of the dam is 7235 m. The crest elevation is 225 m. Itaipu is actually four dams joined together — from the far left, an earth fill dam, a rockfill dam, a concrete buttress main dam, and a concrete wing dam to the right.
• The spillway has a length of 483 m.
• The maximum flow of Itaipu’s fourteen segmented spillways is 62.2 thousand cubic metres per second, into three ski sloped formed canals. It is equivalent to 40 times the average flow of the nearby natural Iguaçu Falls.
• The flow of two generators (700 m³·s⁻¹ each) is roughly equivalent to the average flow of the Iguaçu Falls (1500 m³·s⁻¹).
• If Brazil were to use Thermal Power Generation to produce the electric power of Itaipu, 434,000 barrels (69,000 m³) of petroleum would have to be burned every day.
• The dam is 196 metres high, equivalent to a 65-story building.
  
• Though it is the seventh largest reservoir in size in Brazil, the Itaipu’s reservoir has the best relation between electricity production and flooded area. For the 14,000 MW installed power, 1350 square kilometers were flooded. The reservoirs for the hydroelectric power plants of Sobradinho Dam, Tucuruí Dam, Porto Primavera Dam, Balbina Dam, Serra da Mesa Dam and Furnas Dam are all larger than the one for Itaipu but have a smaller installed generating capacity. The one with the largest hydroelectric production, Tucuruí, has an installed capacity of 8,000 MW, while flooding 2,430 km² (938 sq mi) of land.

With 10.4% growth, Paraguay was the second fastest growing economy worldwide and since 2012 has been rated as a stable economy.

Paraguay has minimal dependence on the USA and Europe for exports and buys less than 23% of its goods from North America.

On the easiness scale of starting a new business, Paraguay ranks 2nd in South America.

Paraguay has the 4th best business environment in Latin America.

Paraguay is one of the largest soya exporters in the world with a capacity to grow even more. Look at these farms.

Ranks 77 in the world in terms of economic freedom, and 5th in South America. Paraguay has the second-lowest public debt of any Latin American country (24% of GDP).

Exports: Ranks 4th in the world for soya bean and Yerba Mate exports; 5th position for charcoal exports; 7th for soya bean oil exports and 8th for frozen meat exports.

Taxation / Tax Planning / Asset Protection

Paraguay has one of the lowest taxation rates worldwide; 10% for corporations and 10% for individuals.

Paraguay has the lowest tax burden in South America. Paraguay offers tax benefits under law number 60/90 and Maquila Regime for International Investment. It is located in the heart of MERCOSUR, the richest economic block of South America.

Peaceful Paraguay

Another very good reason to pick Paraguay for residency, even if you choose to reside here only part of the year, is that Paraguay is a very peaceful country. You will not encounter violent demonstrations; security forces and the Government does not overreact to situations.

Goodbye earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or tsunamis. Welcome to Paraguay where there are no natural disasters like these.

Paraguay sits on the largest aquifer and fresh drinking water can be found practically in the world. The favorable climate leads to great agricultural productivity

If Asuncion is a capital city with one of the lowest costs of living in the world,

One refreshing fact that greets many residency applicants is that people are left alone in Paraguay. The Government simply does not meddle in Paraguayans daily affairs, as has become so common in other countries.

Besides all this, although being reserved, it is a fact that Paraguayans are very friendly people and striking up a conversation is simple.

Requirements for residency in Paraguay are that applicants must have a clean criminal record, prove no contagious diseases and either buy property or deposit around US$ 5,000 in a local financial institution to start the residency process.

As a holder of the permanent residency document / cédula you can apply for citizenship after 3 years, which enables a Paraguayan passport to be issued.

Contact the Gateway to South America team to learn about the best investment opportunities in the region. The company is a benchmark for foreign investors wishing to invest in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, providing expert advice on property acquisition and investment tours.

The Gateway Team – When You are Serious About Property

www.gatewaytosouthamerica.com

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