Creating Economic Opportunities (CEO) Activity

The purpose of this Contract is to reduce poverty and improve living conditions, closing gaps between Guatemala and migrant countries, to create a Guatemala in which economic opportunity exists and irregular migration is not necessary in order to find such opportunities.

The Creating Economic Opportunities (CEO) Activity will reduce poverty and improve living conditions, closing gaps between Guatemala and migrant destination countries, in order to decrease irregular migration.

To achieve this objective, USAID assistance will grow businesses and increase employment and income generating opportunities for Guatemalans through a multi-pronged approach utilizing four levers of economic development - expanding access to markets, improving workforce capacity, increasing access to financial services, and upgrading productive infrastructure.

CEO will work to benefit vulnerable Guatemalans, particularly youth and indigenous persons, in select geographic areas (Western Highlands and the Department of Guatemala) with high levels of outward migration.

In order to increase economic activity, CEO will partner with and expand existing businesses and support entrepreneurs to create new businesses that will generate jobs; diversify production and service offerings and improve product and service quality; develop new financial products, provide financial education, channel remittances for development purposes; and craft and implement policies that create incentives for employers and employees to transition from the informal to the formal private sector.

The activities implemented under this Activity support the Joint Strategic Plan Goal #2, Renewing America's Competitive Advantage for Sustained Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The activities directly target the objective area 2.1 and 2.3 by promoting commercial opportunities, and market-oriented economic reforms. Increasing economic opportunities and reducing these risks helps reduce the reasons for irregular migration.