Andina

IDB: Peru moves in the right direction towards innovation, development

11:15 | Lima, Dec. 18.

Peru is moving in the right direction in terms of innovation of productivity, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) representative in Peru Viviana Caro said on Wednesday.

"For us, innovation is important. It is one of the areas of action included in the National Competitiveness and Productivity Plan that have received the most attention from the public and private sectors in recent years, so we believe Peru is going in the right direction," she told El Peruano official gazette.

Likewise, the officer stressed that this process could be accelerated in the Inca country. Caro said that while progress was made in aligning existing programs, there is the issue of investment, which is still insufficient.

"Peru invests 0.12% of gross domestic product (GDP) per year in innovation and, when compared to other economies with similar growth rates and development of institutions, the country should invest at least five times more in it," she expressed.

The IDB representative added that —as innovation progresses— the development of the economy will prosper.

Caro also commented that the Government —through the Innovate Peru Program— has developed one of the most relevant tasks in recent years and that the IDB has been joining it for more than a decade. In this case, Peru worked on the issue of bonuses, subsidies, or transfers.

The Innovate Peru Program co-finances projects of business innovation, productive development, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem institutions, through national competitions.

(END) SDD/JJN/MVB

Published: 12/18/2019