COLOMBIA, A POSITIVE COUNTRY
Prepared by:
Internal and External Communication
Affairs Co-ordination
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• POLICY OF DEMOCRATIC SECURITY GAVE BACK CONFIDENCE: during 2003 the volume of vehicular traffic across the Colombian
highways increased by more than 4 million circulating vehicles
when going from 54.346.109 to 58.395.563. The increase allowed
a rise in the economy and broke the negative tendency registered
in the last four years with falls of 11.55% (1999), 1.12% (2000),
0.34% (2001) and 1.30% (2002).
• POSITIVE RESULT OF THE ARMY: in January of 2004 the
number of casualties of members of armed insurrect groups was
increased by 168%, in comparison to January of 2003, when going
from 83 to 223. Belonging to those casualties 119 were members
of the FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces), 51 of the
AUC (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), 45 of ELN (National Liberation
Army), 4 of the EPL (Popular Liberation Army), 3 of ERP (Revolutionary
Army of the People) and one from common delinquency. The combats
also registered a considerable increase when going from 90 to
152 in the comparison period. Also, the number of captures of
members of illegal armed groups increased by 16.9%, when going
from 636 to 744.
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT GENERATION
•
GOVERNMENT RECEIVES TRANSFERENCES FROM THE BANK OF THE REPUBLIC: the Bank of the Republic transferred to the Government $802 billion
(Colombian Peso), as part of the utilities that it obtained during
the year 2003. Near $600 billion will be kept as reserves to
avoid contingencies.
• ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS EVIDENT: the Outer Commerce Bank
of Colombia – BANCOLDEX- recognized an important dynamic
in the demand of credit and said that an example can be seen
in the sum of $180,000 million (Colombian Peso) that the companies
demanded in January of this year, of which $160,000 million have
already been disbursed. For 2004 Bancoldex will make emphasis
in the credits destined to the modernization of the productive
apparatus, with the aim of generating new sources of income and
employment.
• ECONOMIC GROWTH COULD BE GREATER TO 4%: for the Bank
of the Republic the economy of the country in 2004 can grow at
least by 4%. This percentage will be obtained with an increase
in the home consumption, in investment and the growth of the
imports and the exports. Among the factors that could lead to
have such growth are the greater confidence of investors, the
increase by 17% in the private investment, the growth by 17%
in the imports of capital assets, and the increase by 57% in
the microcredits for small and medium industrialists.
• REGISTRY OF IMPORT ELIMINATED: starting next June, the
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism will eliminate the
Registry of Import for the purchases incoming from other countries
and that are subject to this proceeding. The Government indicated
that the obligatory nature to present the registries of import
exclusively for the imports of the goods submitted to the regime
of previous license, that is to say those that require a previous
VºBº by the Ministry is conserved.
• THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY LEAVES BILLIONAIRE PROFITS: the
national industry of software annually leaves income by $9 Billions
(Colombian Peso), equivalent to 4% of the GIP. The Government
prepares the adoption of new strategies that stimulate this industry
and fight the piracy. The Government advances programs of social
character meant to stimulate the use of the new information technologies,
especially among the most vulnerable and distant populations
of the country. For the year 2004 the Ministry of Communications,
through the Compartel program phase III, will grant connectivity
to more than 3,000 public establishments, including schools and
hospitals.
• NEW TOURISM ATTRACTIVE IN THE GUAJIRA: with the purpose
of reactivating ecological tourism in Cabo de la Vela, the Government
delivered 15 native inns for the Wayúu community in Uribia,
Guajira. The project contemplates the construction of 73 inns
that will give the natives of the region the possibility of developing
a new productive activity based on tourism. The 58 remaining
native inns will be given in the first week of April, before
Easter. The inns, with an approximated cost of $300 million (Colombian
Peso), will have rooms, a bathroom and an enramada to hang hammocks
and small boats.
SOCIAL EQUITY
• SUPPORT FOR THE DISPLACED POPULATION: the European Commission
(EC) approved €9.2 million in order to develop initiatives
that support the return, reestablishment and social and economic
integration of the displaced population of the country in 2004.
The benefited communities will be of preference those located
in the departments of Antioquia, Valle, Santander, Nariño,
Cauca, Bolívar, North of Santander, Cordoba, Chocó,
Cesar, Magdalena and Sucre. The initiatives will be concentrated
in the areas of health, feeding, housing, farming and enterprise
development, with the objective of diminishing the poverty levels
and to offer worthy conditions of life to the displaced population.
The funds will be executed with the collaboration of national
and international NGO’s, local authorities and institutions
and the Network of Social Solidarity. This program looks to impel
the protection and diffusion of Human Rights, the knowledge of
the laws, the respect for the minorities and the prevention of
the conflict.
• DISPLACED FAMILIES RETURN TO THEIR LANDS: with Government
support more than 10 thousand displaced families have returned
to their homes and have received emergency humanitarian aid.
From August of 2002 until now 10,932 families affected by the
displacement have returned to their homes; from these number
9,671 correspond to massive returns and belonging to these 6,576
returned to their homes in 2003. Last year, the Network of Solidarity
granted Humanitarian attention of Emergency to 21,881 displaced
families, with foods, shelters and integral attention to initiate
the process of preparation of the return. The Government goal
is to give this attention to 200 thousand families at the end
of year 2006.
• SWEDEN SUPPORTS SOCIAL SERVICES: The Government of Sweden
and industrialists of that country donated resources to the Youthful
Service Foundation, Bosconia Program, directed by father Javier
de Nicoló, with the purpose of supporting the Colombian
social projects. The foundation’s mission is to rescue
young inhabitants from the streets and give them education. The
First Lady, Lina Moreno de Uribe, and the ambassador of Sweden,
Olof Skoog, delivered the resources. The Swedish sponsoring companies
in Colombia are ABB, Chaneme Volvo, Group Family, Ericsson, Electrolux,
Of Laval, IBS, Skandia, Swedtel and Tetra Pak.
• AGREEMENT WILL BENEFIT 27 THOUSAND STUDENTS: The National
Service of Learning –SENA- and Cisco Networking Academy
Program subscribed an agreement that will allow the students
of the SENA to receive a standard certification of technology
with international validity, that will benefit 27 thousand students
from the organization. The multinational will provide the students
knowledge and abilities at the Internet, design, installation,
maintenance and technical support, and computer science network
management.
(FIN/JMR/CIE)
13/02/2004
