Peruvian Economy
Peruvian Economy
Effectiveness of Police Force: 1.5
Because of the corruption and poverty in Peru, the police forces are on the side of the rich or who gives them money. Therefore, the population does not trust police forces and sometimes communities do their own rules. For instances, Unions throughout the country have been striking and protesting for better living conditions and against some of President Alejandro Toledo?s economic policies during the past year. For example, in April 2002, the government had to halt plans to privatize part of their electrical plants in the town of Arequipa following mass demonstrations. Two demonstrators died in circumstances suggesting that the security forces used excessive force to disperse protesters. Social and economic rights are far from being fulfilled in a country were according to the Peruvian Institute of Statistics, over 50 percent of the population live in poverty.
4. – Private Property: 1.5
Peru, covering a land area of 149 million square kilometers, is the third largest country in South America behind Brazil and Argentina. The country is home to 25 million people.
In Peru, 54 percent of the population is in poverty, and that means that the people do not have enough income for their every day meal. Therefore, they do not have the ability to own a home. So, they build unsanitary houses around the hills of the large cities. There is no law that reinforces private poverty or preventing low income people building houses.
5. – Commercial Banks: 3
Perus banking system is composed of 14 commercial banks and 26 municipal and rural savings banks, together with four government-owned entities: the Central Bank (Banco Central de Reserva del Peru, or BCRP), the governments financial agent (Banco de la Nacion), and two development banks (COFIDE and the Agrarian Bank). The commercial banks–along with five finance and six leasing companies–are regulated by the Superintendency of Banks and Insurance (known by its Spanish initials, SBS).
6. – Communication System: 3
General assessment: adequate for most requirements. Domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations, and international: country code – 51; satellite earth stations – 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable. There are 1,839,200 using main phone lines, and 2,908,800 people using mobile in 2003
7. – Transportation: 4
Driving in Peru, whether in the city or on the highway, can be an adventure. Transit in this country is chaotic. If you are traveling in the city, taxis are highly recommended, especially in Lima given the size of the city and the mess of traffic. The buses are found only in the main cities, and they can hold twenty to forty passengers. In Peru, there are two ways to travel by bus between towns. The first option involves buses, called ?caleteros? that stop in every town along the route. Direct buses are more expensive but a lot better. In Peru, the company in charge of the railway system is the ?Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles? (ENAFER) or the National Railway Company. There are two routes in the country; the touristiest and widely used is the Southern one, linking Arequipa with Juliaca, Puno and Cusco, or Juliaca and Puno. The last route departs from Cusco to Machu Picchu and Quillabamba, though the stretch to this last destination is interrupted. The other railroad links Lima with Huancayo and Huancavelica, however, the first stretch is not in service. The best ones are Pullman or buffet; then, first class, business/tourism and the always-overcrowded second class. For the route from Cusco ? Machu Picchu there is an auto coach, a kind of faster but costlier electric train.
8. – Education: 2.5
The quality in turn of education in school, especially governmental education, is pretty low. There is not enough budget and current technology, like computers and access to the internet in schools. Comparing with other nations, in special with the USA,