Digital Economy and Technology in The Service of The Region's Development: Economic Report on Central America and the Dominican Republic

The economic report for Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic 2020 describes the situation facing the region. In the context of the global economic slowdown, it also analyzes factors that allow for efficiency gains and that involve technology. In the first chapter, the report describes the regions current economic conditions and the challenges arising from the external environment, especially for public sector revenues and spending, as well as for remittances. Chapter 2 shows how the use of big data, such as cell phone traffic and satellite images, can help improve the efficiency of public spending and service provision. The third chapter presents a characterization of the digital economy in the region, and the attendant challenges and opportunities from the fiscal standpoint. Finally, the report examines how a remittance payments system can reduce commissions, maximize the resources that beneficiaries receive, and aid the proper functioning of the local exchange market.