SAN SALVADOR–Businesses in the Municipality of San Martín now have a one-stop service window to facilitate all required procedures, such as registrations and permits.  The new service window was inaugurated by the San Martin municipality with support from USAID.  With the new window, the number of prescribed requirements and steps that business owners have to follow, the number of visits to the municipality and the waiting times in resolution procedures will be greatly reduced.

Before opening the new service window, a diagnosis of business procedures was carried out to identify opportunities for improvement to simplify the bureaucratic processes.  Likewise, user guides and application forms were developed to facilitate business processes in the municipality.  An entrepreneur can now register his or her business, modify assets, or do business closing procedures within one business day, efforts that previously could take up to 19 days.  In addition, employers can obtain a license or a renewal within 15 working days, a procedure that took 52 days.

This initiative is one of the activities under the Partnership for Growth between the U.S. and Salvadoran governments to improve the business climate to spur greater economic growth in El Salvador.  USAID’s Municipal Competitiveness Project is helping to improve the competitiveness of 50 municipalities through efficient and faster procedures and better municipal management.  Currently, there are business service windows in seven townships and plans to open 39 others.

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