Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Steps to start a business in Peru - Part I





Steps to start a business in Peru - Part I


As you all know, Peru is the fastest growing economy in Latin America in 2012, despite the impact of the financial crisis in the U.S. and Europe so let's take a look at the steps to formalize or set up legally a Business in Peru.

These steps are necessary to start a business in Peru, but may provide guidance in other countries under the CIVIL LAW, which usually have similar processes.


1Search and reserve your company name in the Public Registry


We must first go to the Public Registries Officeand verify that the name of your future company isn’t similar or identical to any existing business in the market.

When searching existing names, we must ensure that they do not look or sound like we're going to use, there must be a minimum of 3 different letters.

Once the search is done and confirmed that there are no same or similar names that we will use, we must reserve our name for in order that other company cannot sign with that name you choose, this “reserve” has a time limit of 30 days.


2Elaboration of the Company’s Conformation Contract 


This contract is a preliminary document in which the members of the future business express its willingness to establish the company, and which they pointed out all agreements.

This document contains information such as when it will begin commercial activities, where society is going to work (business address), what is the corporate name of the company, who will manage or represent the company, the social capital or assets (contribution of the partners), among other data.

It is recommended elaborate this contract with the help of a reliable lawyer.


3. Turning the contract into a Public Deed 

With the conformation contract of the business we go to a notary public to turn this contract into a public deed.

Usually the documents that we carry along with the contract are: the evidence or proof (Voucher) of the cash deposit into a bank account in the name of the company, a detailed inventory of non-cash company properties, a certificate by the Mercantile Public Registries Office of the absence of the same or similar name given to the business you created.

Once you are done, your Public Deed or Partnership Testimonial   must be signed and stamped by the notary.



4. Registering the public deed in the Public Registry



Once we have obtained the public Deed, we take it to the Public Registries exactly to  a sub-office called Mercantile Registry and inscribe there, once done, your business has  “formal and legal life” in our civil law, it should be noted that in our law and mainly in civil law, companies are called societies with the commonly use of Anonymus Societys name;  for more information about this form you can visit this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.A._(corporation)

Well that’s all, the 
next article I will write  the second part ending, covering the Tax and the Administrative procedures.  

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Don't cry for me Argentina




After weeks of speculation, Argentinean President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced that her government is going to nationalize the Spanish Repsol subsidiary YPF, declaring that her country’s hydrocarbon industry was a sector of “public interest.”

Argentina's move to seize control of this Energy Company, will probably hurt in short terms the investment in Latin America. The impact of the intervention of YPF in investments Argentina will be negative and will reinforce the negative view of certain countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia because the nationalization of their industries are inefficient. In the long run, I believe they will not have an impact on the region, at least, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay have taken more serious attitude and consistent attitudes.

Concerning this controversy in our region, The General Secretary of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Maria Emma Mejia, said today in Brazil his "respect" for Argentina's decision to expropriate 51% of Repsol YPF describing the move as an "internal affair".

Gladly, Peru's foreign minister speak on the issue: "We respect but do not share the position of the Argentine government" Peru is "a country with stable and clear rules".

The Argentinean Government will reimburse YPF for its shares?  the price of compensation for the expropriation of 51% of YPF. Brufau (YPF) claimed 10,500 million dollars (8,000 millions of euros), while Kicillof (Argentinean Economy Vice- Minister, the intellectual author of the YPF expropriation) seemed to shoot down the numbers saying the company owes 9,000 million dollars and threaten to charge the alleged environmental damage.

On the expropriation in Peru, the Constitutional Law states that no one may be deprived of his property but solely because of national security or public necessity, declared by law, upon the payment in cash compensation, including appraised value compensation for the damage incurred.

It also indicates how it should be the procedure of expropriation: there must be a prepayment or an advance payment of the compensation that includes any damage (economic damage and moral damage) affected and the right to appeal to the court if the “injured” does not agree with the appraised value or valuation of the expropriated property.

Considering that the concept of public necessity is defined as the satisfaction of a requirement for a community, unlike Perú, Argentina's case,  does not support the advance payment of compensation to the detriment of an expropriation.

Peruvian Business Legal Adviser
xthianc@gmail.com