The Ministry of Economy has announced significant advancements in streamlining administrative processes related to commerce and investment. According to the ministry, around 600 procedures have seen a reduction in response time, and approximately 200 have been fully digitalized.
Minister of Economy María Luisa Hayem highlighted that over $6 million has been invested by the government in a modernization plan aimed at improving various institutional processes. “The goal is to make procedures focused, simple, and digitalized. Through this extensive digitalization project, where we have already invested more than $6 million, we have worked together with various institutions to eliminate unnecessary procedures, simplify them, and digitalize them,” Hayem explained during a radio interview.
She further elaborated that this initiative, led by the Ministry of Economy (Minec) with support from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), aims to remove bureaucratic barriers that previously hindered economic development and community growth.
One notable implementation of this modernization is within Minec itself, specifically through its Investment Unit, resulting in more agile and efficient processes. Additionally, the Historic Center Planning Authority of San Salvador (Aplan) has significantly reduced the time required for issuing resolutions, now taking up to 90 working days.
“All businesses, from the smallest to the largest, that wish to benefit from our fiscal incentive regimes, such as the Free Trade Zones and International Services Law, as well as the new Law for the Promotion of Innovation and Technological Manufacturing, can do so digitally,” Hayem noted.
Furthermore, more than 15 government institutions now use electronic signatures, with an increasing number of companies in the technology and banking sectors also adopting this tool. The use of simple and certified electronic signatures has seen a significant rise in recent years, contributing to the overall digital transformation of administrative procedures in the country.