Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the work of artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the work of artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
P UE RTO R I CO S ti i C nd Trade a er Regulations S Ba stem Sy Co Ov er Clearing System Fo Ex r Co nt ro ls Inv o p Op COU NTRY PROF ILE PUERTO RICO COUNTRY OVERVIEW BASIC DATA Capital City: San Juan Land Area: 8,876 sq km Population: 3.99M (as of July 2011) Main Towns: San Juan (capital) 395 Bayamón 208 Carolina 178 Ponce 166 Caguas 143 Guaynabo 97 Arecibo 96 Mayagüez 89 Climate: Tropical marine, mild; Little seasonal temperature variation. Language: Spanish, English Measures: UK (imperial) and US systems Currency: US Dollar Time: 4 hours behind GMT Government: Governor Secretary of State Agriculture Consumer Affairs Economic Development & Commerce Education Health Housing Labor & Human Resources Natural Resources Planning Board Treasury Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit as of February 2012 1 PUERTO RICO Luis Fortuño Kenneth McKlintock Javier Rivera Aquino Luis Gerardo Rivera José R. Pérez Riera Edward Moreno Lorenzo González Feliciano Yesef Cordero Miguel Romero Daniel Galán Rubén Flores Marzán Jesús Méndez Rodríguez COUNTRY OVERVIEW A. POLITICAL STRUCTURE Official Name Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Form of Government US-style representative system Head of State Elected governor, currently Luis Fortuño (PNP), who took office on January 2nd 2008 for a four-year term; the next election is due in November 2012 The Executive A governor is elected every four years, and appoints departmental secretaries to administer executive power with the approval of the Legislative Assembly National Legislature Bicameral Legislative Assembly, the Senate (the upper house) normally has 27 members, two for each of the eight districts, and 11 from the Commonwealth as a whole; an additional member from the opposition party is added if the ruling party has an overwhelming majority; the House of Representatives (the lower house) has 51 members, elections for both the upper and lower houses: November 2012. Legal System US-style court system, but based on the Napoleonic Code and operation within the Commonwealth; the island also functions as a US district, with justices appointed by the US president. National Elections November 4th 2008; the next general election is due November 2012. National Government The Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) holds 22 of 27 seats in the upper house and 37 of 51 seats in the lower house. The Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) holds 14 seats in the lower house and five seats in the upper house. Main Political Organizations Government: Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) Opposition: Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) Extra-parliamentary opposition: Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP); Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (MINH); Partido Puertorriqueños por Puerto Rico (PPR) Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit as of February 2012 Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 2 COUNTRY OVERVIEW B. POLITICAL OUTLOOK 2012 - 2013 Amid a very weak economic recovery the governor, Luis Fortuño, of the prostate hood Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), faces a daunting array of policy challenges that include high unemployment, rising crime and the threat of further debt downgrades by the international ratings agencies (October 2011, Economic policy). In a move to improve his re-election chances as campaigning kicks off for the 2012 general election, Mr. Fortuño will attempt to shift the focus away from a severe austerity programme to a policy emphasizing stimulus spending and tax cuts. However, his efforts will be hampered by the need to avoid undermining his administration’s progress in improving Puerto Rico’s sovereign credit rating as well as its limited access to funds. Although the administration has brought in a number of tax reforms and has put the public finances on a healthier footing, continued weak domestic conditions and rising public disenchantment with Mr. Fortuño’s hardline stance on fiscal policy risk eroding support for other key reforms in the PNP-dominated legislature. Political tensions are set to rise in the outlook period, as Mr. Fortuño suffers from a loss of credibility owing partly to a mounting number of corruption scandals involving PNP legislators that have tarnished his party’s image. In addition, challenges on policy issues from within Mr. Fortuño’s own party will raise doubts about his ability to control the PNP rank and file. Despite promises from the government, efforts to improve the security situation will remain ineffective, owing in part to a lack of fiscal resources. The number of murders passed the 1,000 mark in November 2011 and the Economist Intelligence Unit expects the incidence and severity of violent crime to increase in 2012-13. This, along with dissatisfaction among public employees and students over austerity measures, will heighten risks of social unrest. Relations with the US will be dominated by the island’s political status issue, economic ties and, increasingly, by the US government’s interest in combating drug-trafficking activities. A task force on Puerto Rico created by the US president, Barack Obama, recommended (in March 2011) a two-stage plebiscite on Puerto Rico’s status to be completed before the November 2012 election. Voters would first be asked if they are in favor of maintaining the present territorial status. If the current territorial status is rejected, they would then vote on a choice between statehood, independence or commonwealth. The exact date on which the plebiscite would take place and what form it would take is currently under discussion. Mr. Fortuño, whose PNP party favors statehood for Puerto Rico, wants to schedule both parts of a two-stage plebiscite on the same day as the next general election in November 2012, but is facing resistance from the opposition, who accuse him of using the status issue to boost his chances of re-election. 3 PUERTO RICO COUNTRY OVERVIEW Even if the plebiscite takes place, the PNP’s efforts are unlikely to gain much traction, as formal proposals for full US statehood are likely to meet obstacles in the US Congress. Mr. Obama stated in September that unless there is a strong majority in favour of a change in status, Congress will be unlikely to act on the matter in the near term. Furthermore, with US elections approaching, the status issue is likely to slip further down the political agenda. On economic issues, bilateral relations with the US will focus on corporate taxes, particularly the effects of the imminent expiry of key patents, and the petition from the Puerto Rico government and private sector for the enactment of US legislation to provide new tax benefits for US companies on the island. Although the US Internal Revenue Service recently announced that US manufacturing firms will be allowed to credit Mr. Fortuño’s new excise tax on manufacturing transactions against US taxes, several manufacturing firms, including large pharmaceutical companies, have already halted plans to invest or expand on the island. This trend is likely to continue in the short term, hindering Puerto Rico’s economic recovery. C. THE DOMESTIC ECONOMY Headline inflation continued a downward trend, falling to 2.9% in October (it reached over 4% in September), as a result of easing energy prices. Puerto Rico is particularly exposed to fluctuations in oil prices, as it is dependent on oil for around 70% of its energy needs. On a month-on-month basis consumer prices fell by 0.6% in October. In the context of weak domestic demand and easing prices for energy and other commodities, the Economist Intelligence Unit expects inflationary pressures to remain mild in the forecast period. The most recent data published by the US Department of Labor show that unemployment remained stubbornly high in October 2011. After falling to 14.7% in December 2010, the unemployment rate picked up again in 2011, peaking at 16.8% in March, dropping only marginally to 16.3% by October. In absolute terms, the number of people in employment in October was 17,000 down on a year earlier, while the number of unemployed rose 2% year on year, to 209,000. In addition to redundancies in the public sector that are part of the Government’s efforts to rein in public spending, two of the larger pharmaceutical companies operating in Puerto Rico, Pfizer and Abbot (both USbased), announced downsizing plans in 2010, which included job losses. The pharmaceutical industry, which is the single largest employer in the manufacturing sector and the largest source of export earnings, is facing the expiration of a number of patents of highlyprofitable drugs that are produced in Puerto Rico, which will erode profitability. Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 4 COUNTRY OVERVIEW After declining by 2.8% over the 2010/11 fiscal year, the index of Economic Activity published by the Government Development Bank continued to decline in the first four months of the 2011/12 fiscal year, showing the still-weak state of the Puerto Rican economy. The index was 0.9% down year on year in October, and the average for the fiscal year to date (July-October) was 1.3% down on a year earlier. However, the rate of contraction has been steadily falling and we expect the index to begin to move into positive territory in the second half of the fiscal year, leading to a modest gain in activity for the year as whole. For the 2011/12 fiscal year we expect a slight improvement in economic conditions although real GNP growth will be weak at just 0.5%, as the uneven recovery in the US and increasingly pessimistic outlook for the global economy have a negative impact on Puerto Rico. 5 PUERTO RICO COUNTRY OVERVIEW The 2010/11 fiscal year was the best in terms of revenue growth for the Treasury department since the start of the 2006 recession, owing largely to the introduction of the new 4% excise tax on shipments by US companies to corporations on the mainland. Revenue grew by just over 6% compared to fiscal year 2009/10. This trend continued into the first four months of the 2011/12 fiscal year (July-October 2011), as revenue increased by 7% (US$150m) year on year, led by growth in income from the special excise tax. In contrast, tax revenue from individuals and corporations continued to decline (down 25% and 20%, respectively, year on year) owing to the phasing in of lower tax rates and to the persistent effects of the ongoing recession on employment and corporate income. D. ECONOMIC FORECAST Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 6 COUNTRY OVERVIEW Economic Growth GNP is used in preference to GDP as a measure of growth in the local economy, as it nets out the large outflow of profits from US firms operating in Puerto Rico. After an estimated official contraction of 3.8% of GNP in the 2009/10 fiscal year (July-June), we estimate a further contraction of 1.7% in the 2010/11 fiscal year. We expect the economy to return to growth in fiscal year 2011/12, although the expansion will be extremely weak (just 0.5%), as a result of the uneven recovery in the US and our forecast for a recession in the euro zone, which could be coupled with continued market turbulence. More substantial growth is expected in the medium term (we expect the economy to grow by 1.4% in fiscal year 2012/13), supported by an improvement in domestic credit conditions and as tourism and construction pick up gradually. However, the economy remains afflicted by high unemployment (which stood at above 16% in October 2011) and high, albeit easing, fuel costs. Our baseline scenario is that Mr. Fortuño’s tax relief policies will have only a limited effect on growth, as any boost to private consumption will be mostly offset by rising imports, highlighting Puerto Rico’s structural imbalances. On the demand side, we estimate a contraction in domestic demand in 2010/11, but expect conditions to pick up slightly during the remainder of the outlook period in line with further improvements in credit conditions. However, growth in private consumption will be limited by high unemployment. Mr. Fortuño’s success in advancing the implementation of PPPs will have only a limited effect in the outlook period, as these projects will take time to implement. Gross fixed investment will also suffer, as US pharmaceutical companies, the island’s largest export sector, transfer their operations outside Puerto Rico, largely in response to the expiry of key patents, which will erode profitability. Export and import levels will, on the whole, follow US growth patterns, which have weakened over the past quarter. On the supply side, weaker US growth will dampen growth in the tourism, services and retail sectors, while construction will continue to suffer the consequences of a contraction that began in 2007, and will grow only moderately. Inflation Inflation will remain mild in the outlook period, restrained by weak domestic demand, but high international prices for fuel and food will place upward pressure on the consumer price index in 2012. After declining to 1.1% at the end of 2010, year-on-year inflation was 2.9% in October, driven predominantly by higher energy and food costs. This was down from a high of over 4% a month earlier. We estimate average inflation in 2011 of 3.6%, owing in part to a low base of comparison in the year-earlier period, and we expect average inflation to remain at around the same level in 2012-13, as lower oil prices offset modest gains in demand-side pressures. 7 PUERTO RICO COUNTRY OVERVIEW External Sector After narrowing in 2009-10, Puerto Rico’s traditionally large trade deficit will widen in the outlook period, as a gradual pick-up in domestic demand leads to a rise in import spending. Although very weak private consumption will reduce some pressure on the external accounts, high oil prices and the gradual recovery of import-dependent sectors (such as retail) will lead to smaller trade surpluses in 2012-13. On the export side, growth will remain sluggish until the stuttering US recovery strengthens, and will also be hindered by problems in the manufacturing sector. The large services deficit will be partly offset by the positive transfers balance, which will benefit from continued (albeit decreasing as fiscal stimulus measures come to an end) transfers from the US federal government. Remittances inflows are insignificant, averaging less than US$500m per year. Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 8 COUNTRY OVERVIEW 9 PUERTO RICO BANKING SYSTEM A. BANKS IN PUERTO RICO The financial services sector comprises of 8 commercial banks, 2 government owned development banks, and a state mortgage bank, as well as the overseas branches of a number of Wall Street investment banks and brokerage houses. There are also several international banking entities (IBEs), mostly attached to commercial banks, which have arisen under the auspices of a government policy to stimulate the development of an international banking system on the island. Accounting for 17% of GDP, the sector is relatively large and employs around 50,000 people. Banks in Puerto Rico include: First Bank, Banco Popular, Scotia Bank, Banco Santander, Oriental Bank, BBVA, and Doral Bank B. CITIBANK IN PUERTO RICO Citibank Puerto Rico has been operating since 1918. Today there are 4 Citibank branches throughout the country. Location of branches • • • • San Juan Bayamón Caguas Carolina Our branch services are supported by an alliance with another financial institution, providing a network of 54 additional branches across the Island. Services Offered to Citibank Clients • • • • • • • • • • Liquidity Management/Domestic & International Account Structures Information Management Payable s Management Receivables Management FX Management Trade Services, Supply Chain Finance, Trade Finance, EAF Regional Implementation Customer Service Commercial Cards Offering: Local Issuance Capabilities Securities and Funds Services – Local Custody Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 10 CLEARING SYSTEM A. CLEARINGHOUSE As a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico is a member of the second U.S. Federal Reserve clearing district. Puerto Rico has a local compensation office that performs clearings under the jurisdiction of the FED. B. ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFERS Outgoing Funds Transfer / Book Transfer are available through CitiDirect Online Banking (Global Electronic Banking Platform). 11 PUERTO RICO FOREIGN EXCHANGE CONTROLS - FX Controls: No Central bank provides the FX: No Trade Transactions reported: No Trade Obligations reported: No Mandatory repatriation of export proceeds: No - Cash-deposit for import: No - Import license: No - Import restrictions: No Off-shore accounts: Yes Restrictions on hard currency transfers: No Restrictions on income in investments: No Operates under Aladi: No Withholding Tax on Trade Finance paid off-shore: No WHT Foreign Banks Banco Santander, BBVA A. TAXES Income Tax The maximum effective corporate tax rate is 30.00% The maximum effective personal income tax rate is 33.00% Withholding Tax Withholding taxes must be deducted from dividends, interest, rents, royalties, salaries, annuities, compensation or other fixed or determinable, annual or periodic income paid to non-resident individuals and non-Puerto Rican corporations or partnerships not engaged in trade or business in Puerto Rico. No withholding is required from interest on bank deposits paid to such individuals, corporations and partnerships. Generally, the withholding rate is 29%, except that the withholding rate is 20% for non-residents who are citizens of the United States. The rate is 10% on dividends. Interest is not subject to withholding unless the debtor and recipient are related persons. Payments made to resident individuals or corporations engaged in trade or business in Puerto Rico for services rendered are subject (with some exceptions) to a withholding rate of 7% unless the recipient secures a waiver from the Secretary of the Treasury granting partial exemption from the withholding. Other Taxes Puerto Rico has Sales and Use Tax imposed at a rate of 5.5% at the state level and 1.5% at the municipality level, resulting in a combined rate of 7%. The new sales and use tax (in effect since 15 November 2006) generally applies to all retail sales, including mail orders, sale of tangible personal property or services, admissions fees, storage, use or consumption in Puerto Rico. Limited exceptions include non-processed foods, prescription medicines, most rental of real property, and the following services: medical-hospital, professional, educational, financial, governmental, inter-business and insurance, among others. Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 12 TRADE REGULATIONS A. IMPORT AND EXPORT REGULATIONS Puerto Rico follows the United States’ regulations. Trade Flow Export – U.S. $61,657 million Import – U.S. $40,810 million B. REGIONAL TRADING ASSOCIATIONS ECLAC/CEPAL – Associate Member since 1990 The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) –whose Spanish acronym is CEPAL and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile- is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. Its objectives are contributing to the economic development of Latin America, coordinating actions directed towards this end, reinforcing economic ties among countries and with other nations of the world and promoting the region's social development. CARICOM – Observer The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a community -established by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973-, consisting of the following members: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. The objectives of the Community are: to improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labor and other factors of production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; enhanced levels of international competitiveness; organization for increased production and productivity; achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage and effectiveness of Member States in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description and the enhanced co-ordination of Member States’ foreign and foreign economic policies and enhanced functional co-operation. 13 PUERTO RICO INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Investment Products Time Deposits, CD’s, Repos, Sweeps, Overnight Investments A. NEGOTIABLE CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT Available through our Treasury Dept. Client must contact desk for rates. B. TIME DEPOSITS Available through our Treasury Dept. Client must contact desk for rates. C. OVERNIGHT INVESTMENT SWEEP Agreement required, available for clients with DDA account and minimum of $100 million to invest. Custodial Services Physical and book entries Foreign Exchange Available through our Treasury Dept. Client must contact desk for rates. Worldlink Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 14 CITI SOLUTIONS & SERVICES A. GENERAL BUSINESS TERMS AND CONDITIONS Global Account Documentation Local Account Conditions B. ACCOUNT SERVICES SOLUTIONS FOR PUERTO RICO Demand Deposit Account (DDA) Zero Balance Account SWEEP Account C. CITIBANK’S ACCOUNT SERVICES SOLUTIONS IN PUERTO RICO Documentation and Regulation Residents or Non-Resident U.S. Dollar • Non-interest bearing • Overdraft facility (Daylight & overnight) • Minimum U.S. $10,000 to open account Documentation Requirements • Customer activation form • Account application form • Signature cards • Contingency means of communication • Certificate of corporate resolution • Certificate of Incumbency • Certificate of Incorporation • General account conditions • Local conditions for Puerto Rico • Policy on availability of funds 15 PUERTO RICO CITI SOLUTIONS & SERVICES D. CITIBANK’S PAYMENT SOLUTIONS IN PUERTO RICO Local Payment Products Local Funds Transfers, ACH, Debit Card, Paylink, Controlled Disbursement, Payroll (Direct Deposit), Check Reconcilement (partial & full), EDI, Imaging ServicesDisbursement (Check Paid) Check truncation, International, WorldLink, Mass Payments, Commercial Cards. E. CITIBANK’S COLLECTIONS SOLUTIONS IN PUERTO RICO Local Collections Local Imaging Retail Lock Box Service, Wholesale Lock Box Service, ACH, Branch Services, Check/Currency Deposits, Remote Check Deposit. F. DELIVERY SYSTEMS Local Collections Local Imaging Retail Lock Box Service, Wholesale Lock Box Service, ACH, Branch Services, Check/Currency Deposits. G. TRADE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Trade Services • • • • Letters of Credit Documentary Collections Guarantees Bid & Performance Bonds Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 16 CITI SOLUTIONS & SERVICES Trade Finance • Pre & Post Export Financing • Import Financing Concentration Zero Balance / Concentration Account Structure Electronic Information Products CitiDirect Online Banking Includes information & transaction initiation for accounts around the globe, including on-line access to accounts in Latin America. H. SECURITIES • • • • • • • • • 17 Securities Received/Delivered Securities in Repo Securities Clearing Securities Registration Securities Income Collection New York Securities Received/Delivered Bond/Coupon Collection Service Mortgage Pools Safekeeping Electronic Banking-Product Information, Transaction Initiation PUERTO RICO MARKET GUIDE FOR TREASURY AllowedNo material restrictions AllowedStraightforward regulations, approval or license AllowedChallenging regulatory approval or license AllowedSubject to a complex set of rules Strictly Prohibited Operating Accounts 1 Onshore local currency Onshore foreign currency Offshore local currency Offshore foreign currency Non-Residents Residents Overdrafts Onshore local currency Onshore foreign currency Non-Residents Residents Interest-Bearing Accounts Non-Residents Onshore local currency operating accounts Onshore foreign currency operatingaccounts Residents Time Deposits Onshore local currency Onshore foreign currency Non-Residents Residents Domestic Notional Pooling Onshore local currency Onshore foreign currency Non-Residents Residents Inter-Company Lending 2 Non-Resident to Resident Resident to Non-Resident Local currency Foreign currency Non-Residents Residents Local currency Foreign currency FX Convertibility/Transferability • Local Currency is freely convertible domestic and offshore. Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 18 MARKET GUIDE FOR TREASURY Tax and Transfer Pricing Considerations • WHT applies to intercompany loans (29%). • Interest isdeductible. For more information, pleasevisitwww.transactionservices.citi.com. Notes: 1 Local currency is USD. 2 Funds can be commingled in a Sweep account and client then has to program to ensure correct distribution/allocation interest income. 19 PUERTO RICO CONTACT INFORMATION Industry Sector Heads Carolina Juan Treasury and Trade Solutions Client Sales Management Latin America & Mexico Head Citi Transaction Services Email: [email protected] Cel: + 57 (316) 743 - 9347 Of. Phone: +57 (1) 639 - 4026 Brazil Adoniro Cestari Email: [email protected] Cel: +55 (11) 7130 - 9447 Of. Phone: +55 (11) 4009 - 7838 Based: Sao Paulo, Brazil Industrials Sector Ines Vargas Barrera Email: [email protected] Cel: +52 (181) 8366 - 5190 Of. Phone: +52 (81) 1226 - 8525 Central America Evelin Madrid Email: [email protected] Cel: + 506 8701 - 4529 Of. Phone: +506 2588 - 7541 Based: San Jose, Costa Rica Branding, Consumer and Healthcare Sector Oscar Mazza Email: [email protected] Cel: +1 (305) 588 - 9396 Of. Phone: +1 (305) 347 - 1336 Mexico Miguel Ytuarte Email: [email protected] Cel: +52 (1) 55 4088 - 2284 Of. Phone: +5255 (1226) 8895 Based: Mexico DF, Mexico Technology, Media and Telecom Sector Gabriel Kirestian Email: [email protected] Cel: +54 (911) 3301 - 4826 Of. Phone: +54 (11) 4329 - 1516 Energy, Power and Chemicals Sector Peter Langshaw Email: [email protected] Cel: +55 (11) 6183 - 6958 Of. Phone: +55 (11) 6183 - 6958 Public Sector Jorg Paasche Email: [email protected] Cel: +52 (1) 55 5453 - 0103 Of. Phone: +52 (55) 2226 - 6020 Based: Mexico DF, Mexico Sales Heads Andean Region Carolina Juan Email: [email protected] Cel: + 57 (316) 743 - 9347 Of. Phone: +57 (1) 639 - 4026 Based: Bogota, Colombia Argentina Adrian Scosceira Email: [email protected] Cel: +54 (911) 5674 - 6966 Of. Phone: +54 (11) 4329 - 1194 Based: Buenos Aires, Argentina Non Bank FI Sector (NFBI) Ricardo Dessy Email: [email protected] Cel: +54 (911) 6641 - 9752 Of. Phone: +54 (11) 4329 - 1471 Based: Buenos Aires, Argentina Citi Transaction Services Latin America & Mexico PUERTO RICO 20 Citi Transaction Services www.transactionservices.citi.com © 2012 Citibank, N.A. All rights reserved. Citi and Arc Design is a trademark and service mark of Citigroup Inc., used and registered throughout the world. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.