Title: Structural reforms for investment and growth
1Structural reforms for investment and growth
- The view of the business sector
- Dr. Stephan Mumenthaler, Head Economic Affairs
- Mexico City, June 14th, 2007
2Latin America has made a lot of progress since
the crisis of the 80ies, especially in macro
stabilization
Example Countries with a history of
hyperinflation
Annual inflation rate, percent
Source Global Insight (2007) / Novartis
International
3Mexico has made important progress, reaching
macroeconomic stability and attracting foreign
capital
Central government budget balance, of GDP
Annual inflation rate, percent
Treasury Bill rate, percent per annum
FDI imports into Mexico in billion USD
Source World Market Monitor (2007) / Novartis
International
4Latin American economies grew slower than
emerging economies in South East Asia and Central
Europe.
Annual real per capita GDP growth, 2000-2006
Source Global Insight (2007) / Novartis
International
5and attracted less Foreign Direct Investments
than emerging economies in Asia and Central Europe
Foreign Direct Investment inflow 2002-2006
(billion USD)
Source United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (2007), Global Insight (2007) /
Novartis International
6Novartis is represented with marketing,
manufacturing and research facilities all over
Latin America
Marketing Marketing and Production Marketing,
Production, Research Development
Source Novartis International (2007)
7Novartis commitment to health and growth in
Latin America
- Novartis is present in poor and prosperous
regions of the continent providing innovative and
cost effective cures to patients (branded and
generic pharmaceuticals and vaccines) - Novartis invests in clinical trials and a high
level of care in Latin America, involving
thousands of patients - Novartis respects standards which are above legal
requirements in terms of - Employee treatment
- Environmental protection
- Novartis provides quality employment to over
8000 Latin Americans paying salaries that are
7-15 times above minimum wage - Novartis is concerned by health problems and
committed to be part of the solution - Through patient access assistance programs
- By offering a broad portfolio of cost effective
innovative and generic pharmaceuticals - By investing in research for rare and tropical
diseases - By conducting clinical research in LATAM, thereby
allowing patients access to new cures before
product registration
8Novartis achieved considerable increase in sales
in Latin America, leading to the creation of new
jobs
Number of Full Time Employees in Latin America
Pharmaceutical sales1 of Novartis in Latin
America
55.5
11.5
1 Pharma, OTC, Sandoz Source Novartis (2007),
IMS Padds (2007)
9Insufficient protection of IP, political
uncertainty and lacking research clusters are
major hurdles for Pharma to invest in LATAM
- Insufficient protection of intellectual property
rights - Patents face many challenges from backlogs in
applications to enforceability - Inadequate linkage between IP and pharmaceutical
regulators - registration agencies frequently
approve products that infringe patents - Threat of compulsory licensing, beyond the
framework set by the WTO/TRIPS agreements - Counterfeiting and illegal cross border trade
- Political uncertainty due to the emergence of
governments with populist trends in some
countries - Fear of greater government interventionism,
tighter price control and restricted access to a
growing public sector - Lack of research clusters is an important
investment hurdle as pharmaceutical innovation is
increasingly the result of co-operation between
academia, small biotech and big Pharma
10What are the factors impeding innovation and
growth in Latin America?
- Trade barriers (i.e. tariffs and quota)
- Government inefficiencies
- High and inadequate taxation
- Extensive and costly procedures for opening a
business - Political uncertainty, e.g. risk of compulsory
expropriation - Low efficiency of the financial sector
- Difficult access to loans, equity and venture
capital - Insufficient soundness of banks
- Insufficient protection of property rights
- Corruption and wasteful spending of governments
- Quality of education, research and availability
of skilled personnel -
11High costs for starting a business is one hurdle
to investment, growth and prosperity in Latin
America
Costs of starting a business ( GNI per capita)
Source World Bank (2007) / Novartis
International
12Suggestions for structural reforms for investment
and growth in Latin America
- Fiscal Reforms
- Establishing a broader and more equitable tax
base to provide a more sustainable and efficient
source of income - Opening to the competitive forces that drive
innovation and change by removing trade barriers - Strong economic growth and prosperity of Chile is
among others the merit of unilateral tariff
reductions - Mexico has benefited enormously from joining
NAFTA in terms of investment and trade - Creation of a business climate that encourages
investment, innovation and job creation - Improvement of governance, infrastructure and
reduction of regulatory barriers - Tackling of public and private monopolies
- Improved protection of intellectual property
- Labor Market Reforms
- Removal of labor market restrictions in order to
allow jobs to move flexibly from less towards
more productive sectors