• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Blog

Economic Opportunities and Environment
EL SALVADOR PROGRAMS
  • Overview
  • Description
  • Activities
  • Links
  • Success Stories
  • Publications
  • Gallery

USAID/El Salvador fosters increased trade and economic opportunities for small and medium businesses. To accomplish this, USAID supports job creation as well as successful implementation of the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) – an important tool that can contribute to poverty reduction.

USAID supports the development of laws and policies that promote trade and investment and which lay the foundation for a sound macro economic environment.  By supporting a sound fiscal policy and well-administered tax system, for example, USAID helps El Salvador to increase revenue for social and public sector investments.  USAID also helps the country to benefit from CAFTA-DR by creating programs to foster a policy environment conducive to private sector growth, increased investment, and a strengthened skilled labor force.  Trade capacity building activities increase the productivity and efficiency of small and medium enterprises. 

Moreover, USAID/El Salvador’s programs strengthen Salvadoran capacity to manage and conserve watersheds and protect biodiversity in and around protected areas.  In addition to protecting and conserving critical biodiversity, these programs establish management practices that balance the economic and environmental priorities through the development of ecotourism, job creation, and improved incomes.  

Through a new, short-term program, USAID will assist vulnerable populations severely affected by the global financial crisis.  The program will support government-run social protection programs through conditional cash transfers; temporary employment targeted to youth and women; and support for vocational training opportunities. 

USAID/El Salvador also works with municipalities that seek to eliminate local constraints to greater growth and investment.  USAID’s work at the municipal level is expected to leverage other resources while focusing on developing the potential of local attractions, opportunities, and strengths. 

USAID assistance:

  • Increases government revenues for social investments
  • Improves capacity to negotiate and implement trade agreements
  • Reduces barriers to trade, investment, and market integration
  • Improves commercial laws and regulations to be more consistent with international commitments and prevailing practices
  • Increases access to market information, business management and technical skills training
  • Improves business linkages in order to have more competitive business clusters or geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions
  • Increases access to technology
  • Increases access to rural financial services
  • Improves end use management of critical watersheds
  • Increases harmonization and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations
  • Mitigates the effects of the global financial crisis on vulnerable populations through support to the government of El Salvador’s social protection programs, such as the Temporary Income Support Program (PATI).

Tax Administration Reform Program Tax Administration Reform Program
An important part of any democratic society is its tax policy, as taxes provide needed income that the government can invest in education, health, infrastructure, and other social programs. In order for all Salvadorans to benefit from the income generated by trade and economic development, an efficient and fair tax system is essential.
[ Find out more... ]


Improving Access to Employment Program Improving Access to Employment Program
Access to employment is a continual challenge in El Salvador, in a country where citizens face a high level of underemployment and where many can only find in the informal sector. This is especially troubling in a country where disenchanted youth see their only opportunities as immigration or participation in illicit activities.
[ Find out more... ]


Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds
El Salvador has lost much of its biodiversity and natural resources, a fact which affects the health of the Salvadoran population, leaves the country vulnerable to natural disasters, complicates important services such as water supply and erosion control, and affects the livelihood of populations who directly depend on these natural resources. Implementing environmentally sustainable practices is a crucial step in reversing the loss of biodiversity and economically important natural resources.
[ Find out more... ]
USAID/El Salvador works with the following institutions and organizations to implement its Promoting Economic Opportunities Program:

Government of El Salvador:

 NGOs, PVOs, Private Firms:

Other Donors:

Regional Organizations and Institutions:
Fungus fights coffee pest, improves worker safety Fungus fights coffee pest, improves worker safety
A safe, natural remedy to control the coffee berry borer is now being produced at a USAID-funded and equipped laboratory. [ Find out more... ]
Improving Environmental Compliance and Competitiveness Improving Environmental Compliance and Competitiveness
A USAID-funded clean production and loan guarantee program helps a Salvadoran company to improve milk processing operations. [ Find out more... ]
Using Market Standards for Competitiveness and Resource Management Using Market Standards for Competitiveness and Resource Management
A USAID-funded clean production and loan guarantee program helps Central American companies to improve milk processing. [ Find out more... ]
  Publication Download
Systemic Support for El Salvador’s Superintendency of the Financial System: Supervision of the SME Portfolio Systemic Support for El Salvador’s Superintendency of the Financial System: Supervision of the SME Portfolio
English version only - This publication presents an assessment of the regulation and supervision of the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) portfolio as well as a proposal for changes to the prudential and accounting regulation.
[2008-04-01] | Size 315.05 KB 		Download
Comprehensive Inventories of Selected Biological Resources Within Targeted Watersheds and Ecological Corridors of Southwestern El Salvador Comprehensive Inventories of Selected Biological Resources Within Targeted Watersheds and Ecological Corridors of Southwestern El Salvador
English version only - Comprehensive biological inventories were carried out during the second half of 2007 as part of the USAID Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds Project, in southwestern El Salvador. This field work focused on trees, herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), mammals, and birds in the principal natural areas, such as at Los Volcanes and El Imposible National Parks, and in targeted watersheds and ecological corridors.
[2009-09-01] | Size 4.52 MB 		Download
Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds Proyect Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds Proyect
English version only
[2008-06-01] | Size 2.45 MB 		Download
Guarantee Funds in El Salvador Instruments of Development Guarantee Funds in El Salvador Instruments of Development
This study investigates the capacity of existing guarantee schemes to facilitate access to credit for small and medium enterprises, recognizing their importance to the country’s entrepreneurial fabric as providers and distributors of goods and services for large firms and for the general economy, for their contribution to gross national production, and for being the largest creators of productive employment in the country.
[2007-07-01] | Size 283.89 KB 		Download
The Commercializations of Sea Turtle eggs in El Salvador The Commercializations of Sea Turtle eggs in El Salvador
English version only - This is a USAID-funded appraisal of the collection and commercialization of sea turtle eggs in El Salvador. The study had the participation of the El Salvador Zoological Foundation (FUNZEL), the Institute of Ocean Sciences and Limnology of the University of El Salvador (ICMARES), and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).
[2008-10-01] | Size 718.22 KB 		Download
Consultoria USAID: Apoyo Sistemico a la Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero (SSF), en el Proceso de Supervisión de la Cartera PYME
Spanish version only
[2008-04-01] | Size 309.45 KB 		Download
Estudio de Mercado PYME: Necesidades y demanda para los servicios financieros Estudio de Mercado PYME: Necesidades y demanda para los servicios financieros
Spanish version only
[2006-09-01] | Size 381.19 KB 		Download
Indicadores de Desempeño Ambiental para Centroamerica y Republica Dominicana Indicadores de Desempeño Ambiental para Centroamerica y Republica Dominicana
Spanish version only
[2010-09-01] | Size 5.64 MB 		Download
Report on Biodiversity and Tropical Forests in El Salvador Report on Biodiversity and Tropical Forests in El Salvador
Although El Salvador is a small, densely populated country and humans have been affecting its forests and biodiversity for thousands of years, a large part of its original richness remains and makes an enormous contribution to the welfare of its citizens.
[2011-10-07] | Size 5.79 MB 		Download
 1 to 9 of 9
Get Adobe Reader
Last Updated on 2011-02-24 09:02:56