Colombia, a Positive Country
Prepared by:
Affairs Coordinator
Internal and External Communications
Ministry of Foreign Relations
ON THE FRONT PAGE
• BOGOTÁ WORLD BOOK CAPITAL IN 2007: Bogotá’s
network of public and private libraries and its ambitious agenda
for promoting reading, won the capital this honor awarded by
UNESCO. The Mayor’s Office of Bogotá used a document
from the District Council for Promoting Reading to advance the
candidature. Bogotá is promoting the programs “Libro
al Viento” (Book on the Wind), which promotes reading on
Transmilenio public transportation routes, and “Paraderos,
paralibros, paraparques” (Bus Stops, Book Stops, Park Stops).
The Award is symbolic and provides no economic incentive.
• INNS FOR TOURISTS PASSED FIRST TEST BY THE WTO: Colombia’s
inns have the potential to promote foreign tourism since they
represent diverse attractions for the tourist and they have the
basic infrastructure for the development of their activity, said
Matthias Beyer, consultant for the World Tourism Organization,
in his report prepared as a result of his evaluation. The final
results, if favorable, will allow the government’s program
to receive financing and technical cooperation to strengthen
the sector.
• ANTI-PAPERWORK LAW PASSES TO
THE PRESIDENT FOR APPROVAL: the law will eliminate 80 procedures,
reducing the time and money
spent by natural persons and legal entities on paperwork in different
government entities. The legislation seeks to create agility,
economy, effectiveness, and impartiality. The law prohibits demanding
the fulfillment of additional requirements in order to be able
to exercise rights and activities that have already been granted
in a general manner.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT
• CREDIT FOR SPECIALIZATIONS FOR TEACHERS: in 2003 and
2004, ICETEX approved 254 thousand credits to finance Master’s
Degrees and PhDs for the same number of teachers in elementary
and secondary education across the country. This credit mode
began in 2003 to facilitate continued academic education for
Colombian teachers in elementary and secondary education and
in training colleges. The beneficiaries can raise the index for
the quality of education in their institutions, as contemplated
in the Educational Revolution Policy. The goal for 2005 is to
approve 100 thousand credits, and the goal for the four-year
presidential term is 510 thousand. www.icetex.gov.co.
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT
• INVESTMENTS IN WORKS FOR PEACE:
the government designated $40 billion pesos for 2005 for the
Works for Peace Program that
is part of Plan Colombia, whose purpose is to continue building
and improving community social infrastructure and public services
in 70 municipalities in the country.
• CREDITS FOR SUBSIDIZED HOUSING: the government and the
banking system agreed to create a special fund for mortgage loans
in the amount of one billion pesos to finance the purchase of
100 thousand units of subsidized housing over the course of the
next 12 months or earlier. The Banking Association accepted the
proposal made by President Álvaro Uribe, for loans of
a minimum of 12 years, and at an interest rate of UVR (real value
units) plus 8 points.
• BANKING SECTOR HAD EARNINGS OF $1.39 TRILLION PESOS
AS OF MAY: this result represents an increase of 21.1% in earnings
over the same period in 2004. The figures correspond to the entire
financial system, including six financial cooperatives, but excluding
second-tier institutions such as Bancoldex, Findeter, FEN, and
Fogafín.
• UPWARD TREND FOR INDUSTRY IN THE ECONOMY: in the first
four months of the year, production grew by 7.9% in comparison
with the same period in 2004, according to the results of the
Joint Survey of Industrial Opinions made by the Andi, Acicam,
Acoplásticos, Andigraf, Anfalit, Camacol, Icpc, and the
Colombian Chamber of Books. The sector believes that for the
period analyzed, production and sales have shown excellent dynamism,
like the other indicators in the survey. This positive situation
is generalized for the majority of the sectors, with only 6 of
the 25 interviewed showing negative numbers for production or
sales.
• MICRO-LOANS GREW IN THE COOPERATIVE
SECTOR: during 2004 disbursements of micro-loans by cooperative
entities operating
in the country increased by 81.6% with respect to 2003, according
to the Superintendency of the Sector of Cooperatives. This trend
contrasts with the decrease of 40.7% reported by this sector
in 2003.
• ISA EARNINGS GREW BY 162%: Interconexión Eléctrica
S.A. had earnings of $95.1 billion pesos between January and
May of 2005, representing a growth of 162% in comparison with
the five first months of the prior year, when earnings totaled
$36.25 billion pesos. In addition, income derived from operations
was $301.27 billion, and operation costs totaled $138.39 billion,
for a net result of $162.88 billion for operations during the
first five months of the year.
EFFICIENCY AND STATE TRANSPARENCY
• ECUADORIAN TOURISTS TO VISIT COLOMBIA: the seven largest
tourism companies in Ecuador – 500 travel agencies – announced
that at least 4,000 tourists from that country will visit Colombia
during the second semester of the year. The trip is part of the “Ecuador
Experience Colombia 2005”, which includes a series of activities
aimed at promoting various destinations and packages, which until
now have not been promoted in the neighboring country, including,
in addition to the Coffee Growing Region and Bogotá, cities
such as Cartagena, San Andrés, Santa Marta, Medellín,
and Cali.
• TOURISM STRATEGY FOR ANDEAN COUNTRIES:
the Andean countries approved the Strategic Tourism Plan for
the region, which has
the goal of making the five member nations of the Andean Community
priority destinations for travelers from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru, and Venezuela. The strategy focuses on the real regional
market of 1.8 million tourists annually who decide to cross the
borders and enjoy the multiple travel destinations in the five
countries. The measures include making border crossings easier,
promoting destinations with a cultural ingredient, and putting
Andean certification of hotels and restaurants in place.
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• DISPLACED PERSONS RETURN TO THEIR PLACES OF ORIGIN:
a total of 80 thousand displaced Colombians, corresponding to
almost 20 thousand families, have returned to their places of
origin between August 7, 2002 and June 16, 2005. Four thousand
three hundred and eighty-two families returned between August
and December of 2002, 7,786 families returned in 2003, another
5,290 returned last year, and 1,964 having returned during 2005
to-date, for a total of 19,422 returned families. Of that total,
17,727 families have returned as part of large-scale return events,
and 1,695 have returned individually. The government’s
objective is for 30 thousand families to return to their places
of origin during the four-year term. The goal has been met in
65%.
• $11 BILLION FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORISM:
the government began a process of disbursement for humanitarian
aid for victims
of terrorism. The aid, which will be handed over during June
2005, has a value of almost $21 billion pesos. The resources
that have been assigned to humanitarian aid during the current
government total $115 billion. The beneficiaries on this opportunity
have been 880 families, victims of terrorism, residing in 29
departments. www.red.gov.co
• MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND MINORS
DEMOBILIZED: The Colombian Institute of Family Well Being revealed
that it has recorded
the demobilization of 2,263 minors from the self defense groups
and guerrilla groups. The organization participates in programs
for the re-socialization of these young people.
(FIN/JHINA/CIE)
June 24, 2005
