Consulado General del Uruguay : Consulate General of Uruguay : Chicago : Illinois

GOVERNMENT

Country Name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay                                                                                          

President: Sr. Jose Alberto Mujica Cordano (Assumed on March 1 st 2010)

National Capital: Montevideo

Political Division: 19 Departments

Government type: Republic under a presidential system. The state is organized into three independent branches: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The Executive branch is headed by the President and a cabinet of 13 ministers. The Legislative branch is represented by the General Assembly, or Parliament, composed by two chambers. The Senate is composed of 30 members, plus the Vice President of the Republic who acts as chairman, and are elected on a nationwide basis. The House of Representatives is composed of 99 members, elected on the basis of proportional representation of each of the 19 Departments.

Suffrage: Compulsory and universal for citizens over 18 years of age.

National holidays: January 1st, May 1st, July 18th, August 25th, December 25th

Legal system: The Uruguayan legal system is based on written law passed by the Parliament and promulgated by the President. The ultimate source of the law is the Constitution of the Republic. The court or judicial procedures normally have two instances. Although the verdict of a court or a judge may provide guidance for other cases, such verdicts are not a binding precedent.

POPULATION

Population : 3.3 million(2008)

Annual Demographic Growth Rate : 0.3

Density (population per sq.km.) : 18

Life Expectancy at Birth : 76,5 years

Infant mortality rate : 15.02/1000

Literacy rate : 98% (2008)

Religions : No official religion (catholics 56%, non religious 38 %, protestants 2 %, jews 2%)

Nationality : noun: Uruguayan(s), adjective: Uruguayan

Languages : Spanish

Business languages : English and Portuguese (French and Italian widely spoken)

ECONOMY

GDP (2003): 11.177 million dollars

GDP per capita (2003): 3.283 dollars

GDP composition by sector :

Inflation rate : 7.59 % (2004)

Economically active population : 1.256.600 (Dec 2004)

Unemployment rate : 9.1% (Dec 2009)

Exports of goods : 4.496.00 (in million USD) (2009)

Main Items : Beef, rice and other grains, dairy products and honey, skins, hides and leather products, foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco, wool, textiles and manufactured textile goods, plastic materials, rubber and their manufactured goods.

Main partners : USA (19.8%), Brazil (16,3%), Argentina (7,6%), European Union (19,9%), Asia except Middle East (8,1%), Middle East (3,9%) .

Imports of goods : 5.589.00 (in million USD) (2008)

Main items : Machinery and appliances, electric materials, chemicals products, petroleum and derivates, transportation equipment.

Main partners : Argentina (25,7%) , Brazil (25,7%) , European Union (13,8%) , USA (9,0%) , Asia except Middle East (9,1%), Middle East (0.3%).

Net Public External Debt : 6.964 (in million USD) (2008)

LIVING STANDARDS INDICATORS

Population with health coverage : 95%

Population physicians ratio : 260

Population supplied with drinking water : 98%

Electrification rate : 98%

Cars per 100 inhabitants : 19

COMMUNICATIONS

Digital telephone network : 100%

Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants : 30 (2008)

Cellular phones per 100 inhabitants : 76 (2008)

Internet users : 400,000 (2008)

Hosts/10000 inhabitants : 260 (Jan 2008)

URUGUAY

Uruguay has a strong democratic tradition, characterized by political and socialstability

* Open, growing economy with reliable and high level institutions and a modern and atractive investment regime.

* Uruguay is one of the fastest growing countries in Latin America.Its GDP grew on average, 6,1% in 2002-2009.

* The country is free from racial or religious conflicts, epidemics and natural disasters.

TAX AND OTHER INCENTIVES

Attractive legal framework for investments

Domestic and Foreign investors are treated equally. Investments do not require prior authorization or registration and there is free transferability of capital and profits.

Investments projects may qualify for corportae income tax rebates ranging from 51% to 100% of the amount invested, plus rebates of other taxes. Corporate income tax, which exists only at the national level, is set at 25%.

Temporary  Admission

Allows companies to import inputs for the productive process free of tariffs for up to 18 months, as long as these are then incorporated to products to be exported or are used in process.

Free Trade Zones

Areas excempt from corporate income and wealth tax as well as from any other tax created or to be created in the future. The introduction of goods into the free trade zonesis exempt from all import levies.

Modern Infraestructure

World-class port facilities in Montevideo, a regional hub par excellence for South America's Southern Cone region.

47.3% of the goods that enter the port of Montevideo are in transit to the region.

Boast Latin America's most dense highway network

2009- New terminal at Montevideo airport,new Colonia ferry port and new Montevideo ring road.

Highest internet, broadband, PC, and telephone penetration in Latin America

98% of the territory with access to low costelectricity and drinking water.

Human Capital

The government guarantees free access to education through University

Literacy rate 98%

4,5 % of GDP invested in education

100% of 15 years old attending highschool have completed at least 3 years of english and 2 years of complete computer training

Montevideo, the Capital City of Uruguay

 Source: www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy