MIDTERM REVIEW OF THE VIENNA PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FOR THE DECADE 2014-2024 SESSION 5: STRUCTURAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Overview Fundamental transit policy Priority 1 issues Infrastructure development Priority 2 and maintenance International trade and Priority 3 trade facilitation Regional Integration and Priority 4 Cooperation Structural economic Priority 5 transformation Priority 6 Means of Implementation
Bolivia: Main macroeconomic indicators Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Description Rate of Annual Change Gross Domestic Product 5.5 4.9 4.3 4.2 4.4 GDP per Capita 3.8 3.2 2.7 2.6 2.9 Consumer Price 5.8 4.1 3.6 2.8 1.3 Real median salary 1.5 5.8 1.7 1.8 Dollars GDP (USD million, current price) 32,996 33,000 33,941 37,509 GDP (USD million, constant 2010) 24,475 25,664 26,758 27,881 GDP/Capita (USD, current price) 3,121 3,073 3,113 3,388 GDP/Capita (USD, constant 2010) 2,315 2,390 2,454 2,518 Exports (USD million, current price) 12,899 8,737 7,126 8,194 8,965 Imports (USD million, current price) 10,674 9,843 8,564 9,308 9,996 Annual average percentage Central Government Balance/GDP -2.5 -4.5 -3.4 -5.0 -5.8 Total external debt/GDP 26.8 29.7 31.5 33.8 Nominal liable interest rate 1.1 0.5 0.5 1.3 1.9 Nominal asset interest rate 6.5 6.4 6.2 6 6.4 Net National Reserves/GDP (end of year) 45.8 39.6 29.7 27.4 Sources: Elaborated by the authors on the basis of ECLAC data: Balance preliminar de las economías de América Latina y el Caribe – CEPALSTAT and the Central Bank of Bolivia.
Paraguay: Main macroeconomic indicators Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Description Rate of Annual Change Gross Domestic Product 4.9 3.1 4.3 5.2 4.2 GDP per Capita 3.5 1.8 3.0 3.9 3.0 Consumer Price 5.0 3.2 4.1 0.5 4.1 Real median salary 1.2 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.9 Dollars GDP (USD million, current price) 40,277 36,164 36,054 39,300 GDP (USD million, constant 2010) 32,109 33,098 34,526 36,325 GDP/Capita (USD, current price) 6,145 5,447 5,363 5,775 GDP/Capita (USD, constant 2010) 4,899 4,985 5,136 5,338 Exports (USD million, current price) 9,636 8,327 8,501 8,680 9,045 Imports (USD million, current price) 11,299 9,529 9,042 11,027 12,434 Annual average percentage Central Government Balance/GDP -0.9 -1.3 -1.1 -1.3 Total external debt/GDP 14.5 17.1 18.1 19.3 Nominal liable interest rate 6.2 7.4 6.7 6.4 6.5 Nominal asset interest rate 15.5 14.3 15.5 14.3 12.9 Net National Reserves/GDP (end of year) 17.1 17.1 19.8 20.7 Sources: Balance preliminar de las economías de América Latina y el Caribe – CEPALSTAT and the Central Bank of Paraguay.
Science, technology, and innovation The economies of Bolivia and Paraguay have experienced limited structural economic transformation, largely dependent upon the traditional configuration of a productive sector centered on raw materials and manufacturing of natural resources. The lack of improvement in science, technology, and innovation (STI) partly explains both countries’ inability to move beyond commodities and diversify the productive sector and exports, and improve efficiency and competitiveness. Both countries have a regulatory framework and guidelines with the potential of developing a critical mass and the necessary governance to advance in the fields of science, technology and innovation. Bolivia has a “National Science and Technology Plan” (2013) and Paraguay has a “National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Paraguay 2017 - 2030”. Both instruments have been developed under the guidelines established by each country’s respective Social and Economic Development Plan, which in turn are aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
These plans and development policies discern some of the weaknesses both countries face in promoting STI , among them, the limited capacity of universities and research and technology centers to generate and transfer knowledge aimed at addressing and resolving challenges in the country’s productive sector, low levels of investment in research and development, the lack of financing to carry out research, and limited public-private coordination. Strategic alliances and the continuous promotion of STIs are key to its development. Universities, the productive sector, and governments need to join efforts to address the needs of the population and provide economic support and capacity building to stimulate research and technological development.
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