Working in Bolivia 245 There is a keen awareness of social responsibility as it
relates to profi table business. Anyone who can combine
transparency and social responsibility will win great
respect in the public domain. A business that exports a
value-added product rather than a raw material will be
appreciated for generating jobs and helping to turn the
tide against the colonial heritage of Third World countries
as exporters of raw materials.
Bolivia’s ‘capitalisation’ programme (a euphemism
for ‘privatisation’ of strategic state enterprises) was
controversial when it was being implemented in the 1990s
and for the most part, the naysayers have been proven
correct. This programme made no dent in unemployment
and underemployment statistics, but weakened the state’s
ability to pay for public services. A foreign businessman
who can create a new company rather than buying off an
old one will be embraced by Bolivia’s unemployed.
Titles
In business situations, unless you know a person of the
opposite sex on an ongoing basis, a simple handshake will
suffi ce, as it will with same sex introductions. More crucial
is to address the person by their title. If they are lawyers
or college grads, the term to use before the last name is
Licenciado. An engineer or technical professional is called
Ingeniero. A teacher is called Profesor since the word maestro,
used for teachers in other Latin countries, in Bolivia refers to
drivers and independent contractors.
Business Climate: Exports
Knowing the basics of business communication can get
you far as long as you know what business sectors are ripe
for investment. We conclude the business chapter with a
snapshot of Bolivia’s business terrain, ending with a summary
of possible new directions in economic policy.
The Curse of Oil
Any treatment of natural resources and exports needs to
face the reality that resource-rich countries among former