Insecurity Is Top External Concern For 53% Of Ecuador SMEs
Insecurity is the leading external concern for 53% of Ecuador's small and medium-sized companies, according to Chubb's latest SME Barometer.
Risk Ranking
The study says theft, violence, and extortion create material losses, raise operating costs, and reduce confidence in the business environment.
The second concern is rising production-factor costs, cited by 37% of respondents. Those costs include raw materials, inputs, energy, and transportation.
The government security plan cited in the article says more than 65,000 microenterprises closed between 2022 and 2023 because of violence, extortion, or logistics blockages.
Protection Priorities
| Asset or risk | Share |
|---|---|
| Equipment as a protection priority | 47% |
| Employees as a protection priority | 46% |
| Cash as a protection priority | 39% |
| Robbery insurance contracted | 36% |
| Fire insurance contracted | 35% |
| SMEs with no insurance | 30% |
The study also identifies barriers to insurance adoption: lack of income (38%), lack of knowledge about available options (20%), and process complexity (15%).
What To Watch
Watch security spending, insurance uptake, SME margins, and whether extortion risk continues to affect logistics, retail operations, and small-business survival rates.
Source
Primicias — "La inseguridad se posiciona como una de las principales preocupaciones para las pymes en Ecuador"
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