POSTIVES vs. NEGATIVES
Perceived as positives
Paraguay lies in the center of the South America and offers the possibility to visit also neighbouring countries. It is not a problem for business partners to schedule meetings in Bueanos Aires, Montevideo or Sao Paulo. For numerous visitors the comfortable touring buses are available at very good prices.
Subtropical continental climate with an average yearly temperature of 25 degree is for many very favorable. In the winter from June to Septembers it gets cooler and the temperature may fall down to 10 degrees. The high summer in January can be tropically hot with 40 degrees.
Paraguayans are very hospitable, patient and helpful persons. If help needed in any situation with polite request, their usual answer is“no problem”. We/I have no time “is an absolutely strange word in their culture. They are very patient people when comparing with many developped nations.
The Paraguayan child friendliness is very much pronounced.
There are very good medical supply in private hospitals in the Asunción region. Also medical insurance is very favorable and inexpensive.
Good privat American and German-speaking private schools (especially in Asunción).
No borders are set to the personal development. House building is done with minimum of regulations. Almost no buerocracy. If one wants to do the business, he just opens it or creates the company, offers service; all that is possible with only a small expenditure.
Personal income tax is levied at 10% on the income exceeding the annual threshold amount. As of 2008, the threshold is 108 times the monthly minimum wage or approximately US$25,335.
Income Tax on Small Business - Residents may be liable to income tax on small business instead, levied at a standard rate of 10%. The taxable income is the lower of the actual net income or the presumed net income. The value added tax amounts at 10%.
There are strong German community in Paraguay. You can easily find there the Germans or German-speaking physicians, dentists, teacher, baker, butcher, notaries, etc.
Perceived as negatives:
The opportunities to build a sustainable livelihood are modest due to high unemployment. Feed family with the minimum monthly wage of 150 Euros is almost impossible.
The independence is the only conceivable way. The dream of a farming should be quickly forgotten. The Paraguayans are much better. For other business ideas you should remember that there is usually someone else who may have had this idea before. This will save a lot of enviness of the fellow countrymen.
The climate is subtropical and high temperatures may become a physical burden for some people.
The infrastructure outside the urban areas is not so good. Dirt or clay roads after heavy rain are often impassable. Even in Canada, Australia, Romania, Bulgaria as well as in many other countries you can find many roads of similar conditions.
Paraguay is a landlocked country. So those who seeks the ocean beaches will be coming here in vain.
Corruption is described in many faces. With it you can make life easier. But corruption only the Paraguayan peculiarity? Just look at EU countries!
The crime rate is not so low, particularly in the area of property crimes. Yes heavy capital crimes are encountered. As almost everywhere in the world you can find here: organized crime, extortion, moral misdemeanour, criminals; in major cities pickpocketing, burglary, car thefts etc.
In the bigger cities you can see street children and strayed dogs. Not always a nice picture.
The truth is often somewhere in the middle!