PARAGUAY, beautiful Land of Freedom...The last frontier !
Paraguay, the home of the happiest and more cheerful people in the world (Gallup pool).
Here in Paraguay friendship is an art form! It is essential to understand the spirit of these friendly people.
We are so far away from the daily grind of the rat race. And it’s true - you feel here like you’re on holiday all year round.
Daily life is a whole lot more straightforward, easygoing, and affordable than in the US or in Europe. Asunción stills ranks as the most affordable capital city in the world.
Summertime air all year round, pungent with orange blossom, mango and more. 300 days of sun a year. With next to no violent crime, Paraguay is also the safest and calmest country in the Latin America. It’s a land where it’s easy to live well, happy, and easy, on what by foreign standards would really be a low-budget!
Geography
Like a Latin-American version of a quiet Switzerland —‘with a smile’ and stable macro-economy development, ¾ of the size of France but counting just 6,5 millions inhabitants. Located in the heart of South America, with the Atlantic to the east, the Pacific to the west, Argentina to the south, Brazil to the east, and then Bolivia to the north, all connected via an array of infrastructural corridors.
Subtropical to temperate climate, total area of 407,000 km² (¾ of the size of France), of which 9,450 km² is water.
Like an easygoing version of Switzerland in the middle of South America, set between Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia. Full member of Mercosur — common-market trade zone of the union of South American nations.
Population: 6.5 million, which works out at less than 10 people/km² outside towns and cities (compare against 102 people/km² for France).
Languages: Spanish, Guarani (the 2 official languages), Portuguese – Major communities (several thousand speakers each): Europe and USA: German, American, American, French – Asians: Korean, Chinese (Taiwanese), Japanese
Security: Asunción, calm and easy-going capital — safest city in the whole of Latin America!
Asunción: Capital of Paraguay, sits on an inside bank of the meandering Paraguay River, Argentina on the opposite bank.
Asunción, as one of South America's oldest settlements, is affectionately known as the “Mother of Cities”. A resolutely residential city, full of sumptuous villas, Asunción is beautiful yet simple, shaded in flamboyant mango trees and scented with orange blossom.
Asunción city proper: 600,000 inhab. – Greater Asunción metropolitan area: 1,500,000 inhab. Central Department: 2,300,000 inhab., which equates to roughly 30% of the Paraguayan population. Asunción has recently seen a surging population — and surging middle classes — driven by booming economic expansion: 14% growth in 2010 (second best performance worldwide)!
Eastern Paraguay: the wealthiest and more developed side.
Western Paraguay, or the Chaco: where numerous futures are beckoning.
Sunshine: 300 sunny days a year.
Attractive financial and property policies
Very low tax rates fiscal policies, open and free economy, totally free-enterprise. No tax declaration-form bureaucracy in Paraguay.
No compulsory insurance. No compulsory bookkeeping. Payroll taxes are negligible and basically optional.
Local labor costs four times less in salary than in the USA or in Europe. No capital gains tax and no inheritance tax!
Tax rates are some of the lowest on the planet! – and certainly the lowest in the Americas.
No tax declaration-form bureaucracy.
No inheritance tax.
No capital gains tax on property that you sell on!
Construction works to a free-and-easy informal approach outside of towns and cities:
no construction permit needed.
Day-to-day living
Day-to-day living is a whole lot more straightforward, easygoing, and affordable than in the USA or in Europe.
Asunción is the most inexpensive capital city in the world! Fabulous villas for rent — complete with pool and garden.
Wonderfully comfortable climate, with 300 days of sun a year. With next to no violent crime, Paraguay is also the safest and calmest country in the Latin America — a place you can live every moment, softly, happily, enjoying the ride.
Fill a supermarket trolley for three to five times less than in Paris the USA or in Europe.
Shopping centers and supermarkets open round all year round, 7/7 (Sundays included), from 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Pump price for a liter of diesel are under €0.75 – Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz.
A fabulous villa complete with pool rents for US$1000-2300 / month.
Foreigners share exactly the same rights and obligations as Paraguayan nationals. They are free to acquire individual property assets (house, car, land) either as a natural person or a company.
Fees and taxes on asset transfers are generally at just 2% of the sale price, and split 50/50 between buyer and seller.
Winter in the USA or in Europe coincides with summer in Paraguay. Mean temperatures: Min. 18.2° – Max. 28.3°
Summer : 26°/35°; Spring & Autumn : 16°/26°; Winter : 8°/22°
Time zone difference: 4H from mid-October to late-March; 6H from early-April to mid-October.
A US Dollar buys around Gs 5,600 and Gs 5,800
Blanket minimum wage for commercial industries is around US$400 – A full-board live-in housekeeper gets paid around US$200 a month. Gardener/pool attendant: count US$40-70 a month. Payroll taxes: optional
Credit Card: all widely accepted, with Visa and MasterCard the best options - Currency exchanges: easy to find and open until 5 p.m.
Using street changers is common practice (in central Asunción) - Banks: open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (a few open to 4 p.m.)
Foreigners can open bank accounts in Euros, Guaranis, or US Dollars.
A number of top-notch hospitals, clinics and dental surgeries.
Major communities (several thousand speakers each): Europeans: German, American, French - Asians: Korean, Chinese (Taiwan), Japanese
Religious make-up: 89% Catholic, plus minority communities of Mennonites and other Protestant, Buddhists
Life expectancy: Women 78 years; Men : 74 years (population averages)
Music: the harp is the eternal symbol of passion and people of Paraguay, with its cheerful and colorful traditional dances.
National sport: FOOTBALL!!! Fervently!!!
Economy of Paraguay
The future lies in emerging markets — and Paraguay, graced with exotic natural reserves, boasts the brightest prospects of them all. A charming country, registering a +14% jump in GDP in 2010, ranking it the second fastest expansion of any nation on the planet! The country is starting to pull in foreign investment.
Essentially free-market economy. Totally unfettered entrepreneurship and untaxed profits to be made.
Abundant youthful skilled labor easy to find (and at a ¼ of the cost in the USA or in Europe).
Meaningful amounts of raw material commodities and fuel resources – Mining and minerals: still underexploited, Iron ore, Manganese, Gold Silver, precious stones, petrol, marble stone.
Renewable energies: solar and alternative biofuels. Electricity: largest hydroelectric power exporter on earth.
Agriculture: 4th largest soybean exporter in the world. Cattle: 4the largest exporter of top-grade beef in the world.
Ecology
3rd largest potential untapped ecosystem services assets in the world
Biodiversity: 3rd biggest biodiversity hotspot in the world for its extreme plant and wildlife diversity.
Paraguay, in tandem with Mercosur, sits atop the world’s greatest freshwater aquifer (Guarani) — an extremely valuable oxygen and food security asset; hydro-electric power in abundance and cheap. No nuclear here!
Agriculture
A relatively unlimited supply of some of the world’s most fertile land, exceptionally well-irrigated yet still l at bargain-basement prices — but not for much longer.
The opportunity is there to make huge guaranteed capital gains (40–65% every year).
Absolutely zero tax on any land that you sell on!
No construction permit needed. Everything works to a free-and-easy informal approach outside of towns and cities.
Climate geared to a huge variety of fruit and vegetable crops (that will grow all year round).
Some of the most fertile land on earth. Virgin land cover: 40% Farmland: 10% Forest cover: 50%
