núm. 14 (2010)

Using the Icfes tests 1980-2009 —the Colombian equivalent to the American SAT—, this paper estimates the school effect by sector inside a hierarchical analysis. The results suggest the public school effect has always been smaller than the private school effect in these last three decades and that the effect on mathematics’ test is always smaller independently of the sector. Likewise, the evidence suggests that since 2000 the school effect falls in both sectors and in the three tests, indicating the Icfes’s methodological change modified the importance of the own characteristics of the schools on the academic achievement. Finally there is evidence that private schools are better positioned that public schools using a percentile analysis.

The Washington Consensus reforms struck a decisive role in economic structure of Latin American countries, especially on the perception of free markets and let the game of supply and demand determine interest rates and exchange rates. The article first sets out the theoretical elements of the credit market with an emphasis on models with asymmetric information, on appeal sets out the major financial reforms implemented in the region and its impact on the credit market, and finally extrapolate the consequences of the region by the Colombian case to describe possible causes of stagnation called credit.

In this paper we illustrate the financial difficulties that payroll taxes would impose on small shoe manufacturing enterprises in Bogota City 15th district and how this would impose some restrictions for firms profit generation, when such contributions turns out to be a fixed cost. We present a brief on the legal framework as well as an econometric exercise that shows the relations between labor costs and profit generation for the footwear industry in the 15th urban district of Bogotá city.

This article presents the current state of the home public services’ sector SSPPDD of the Cundinamarca department, considering only water supply, sewerage and solid waste management, considered decisive for the population’s quality of life, viewed mainly from hedge parameters and investment in providing these services. As a reference, the New Institutional Economics theory, considering that it is institutions that can make a difference for the benefit of the sector, the regulatory framework established by the Constitution of 1991, law 142 of 1994 for the social and administrative control of domestic public services, law 143 of 1994 basic procedures from collection to final disposal of wastes, among others. We conclude that it is crucial to involve all sectors of society in solving the problem of providing the SSPPDD mentioned, for example, through the formation of the Committees on Development and Social Control, which allows you to organize community participation for monitoring and control of the management of companies which provides the service, being private, mixed or official as Solidarity Funds and Redistribution of income in the case of Municipal Water Supply.

The authorities responsible for economic and social policy in Latin American countries have been making efforts around the theme of improving the living conditions of the population, by generating a sustained per capita income, which will lead to better development indicators economic and reduce poverty levels in the region. This document evidence through descriptive statistical methodology that the main variables of economic development are influenced by per capita GDP in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru. According to empirical evidence we can conclude that Argentina is the country that more investment made in education, social security and health, because their economic growth rates have been stable over time, while Bolivia is the country has the lowest social public investment, mainly due to its low economic performance.

In this paper is presented an analysis of the fiscal decentralization process in Colombia in the light of the public finances of the central administration of the Cundinamarca’s departmental Government. It looks how it has been deepening and perfecting the process of decentralization through automatic transfers a nation’s resources to local authorities, legislation aimed at strengthening the local tax authorities and systems of credit seeking to increase greater discipline and responsibility at the time of executing the expense. We analyze the impact that has had the decentralization process on public finances of the Central Cundinamarca’s departmental Government, how they have evolved their income and expenses.