The members of the GEA™ Consulting Group receive at the beginning of each month a report (eleven during the year). In the case of GEA-R, it regularly includes executive reports about the economic environment and perspectives of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica (statistical texts and information), and Dominican Republic and Mexico (statistical information). Every three months a section is included with all the information about inflation, foreign exchange rate and interest rates of the countries of the region. Three times a year, they receive an extensive international economic report. For the members of GEA-N the monthly report consists on Guatemalan information (texts, graphics, and statistical tables, monitor of the most important economic news and also a consulting guide of the main legal dispositions issued in the Government’s Newspaper). Additionally, in the corresponding months, the follow-up of regional macro prices and a report of international economy as well.

The reports usually include different topics of macroeconomic character that, according to the circumstances and to COPADES™’s criterion, are relevant to support the management guidance of the associated companies, such as: foreign trade, currency market, foreign exchange, public finance, productive activity, inflation rate, money and banking, interest rates, economic policy, etc. In March and August of each year, the reports include a special chapter of analysis and projection of all those aspects, exclusively for the case of Guatemalan economy.

When it is pertinent and starting from objective criteria about the actors and factors that influence the exercise of power, an executive report (synoptic graphs) about the political situation of Guatemala will be issued. If conditions require so, a special analysis of the economic environment is prepared.

Every Monday, all the members of the GEA™ Consulting Program will receive, by fax and e-mail, a 2-page Monitor of the Economic and Financial Indicators that contains the last available information about indicators such as: stock operations, “reporto” rates, exchange balance, international monetary reserves, purchase and sale of foreign exchange, media of payment, banking credit, open market operations, interest rates and index of prices to the consumer.

Each of the companies associated to the Program designates a representative and a deputy to receive the reports and participate in the GEA™ meetings. Due to the nature and characteristics of the program, the representative is usually the General Manager or the highest authority of each company or institution. The deputy representative usually is one of the first-line directives or managers.

The representative - or in his absence, the deputy representative- participates once a month in a work meeting. After a brief exposition presented by COPADES™ about the main aspects of the monthly document (see previous page), some conclusion are analyzed and there is an exchange of opinions and comments with the participants and among them, both about the exposition and important topics for the entrepreneurial activity. These discussions enrich the meetings and are of great benefit for the group of members of GEA™.

In the case of the GEA-R, in alternate sessions we invite high-ranked public officials or other personalities that give brief speeches about transcendent aspects about the economic, financial or political situation of Guatemala. Both officials and Group members exchange opinions about the subject.

In virtue of the agreement of reciprocal effect established with the offices related with COPADES™ in El Salvador and Costa Rica, the members of GEA™ whose stay in any of those countries will coincide with the monthly meetings they held (COPADES™, S.A. de C.V. in San Salvador and CEFSA in San José), will have the right to attend to the meeting, previous notice, without any additional cost.

Both the reports and the monthly meetings of the GEA™ Consulting Program have a very dynamic structure and are adequate to the briefness and concision required by its participants. When required, there are some extraordinary meetings to discuss events of special transcendence.

There is no ordinary meeting in January, because COPADES™ personnel have vacation from the last days of December through the first days of January each year. However, the members of the Program will receive a summarized document of the follow-up of Guatemala’s economic and financial indicators to December of the previous year.

The report prepared in June of each year includes a prospective exercise with the foreseeable economic tendencies for a term up to five years (to regional level for the GEA-R and national for the GEA-N). This exercise has the purpose of supporting the strategic planning work, which annual revision is made by several companies.

The report presented every year in November includes a presentation of a profile containing the most important economic projections for the next year, which includes the five countries of the area in the case of GEA-R, and only Guatemala in the case of GEA-N. In February’s report the annual forecast of Guatemalan economy is particularly reviewed.

This way, COPADES™ responds to the needs of the members of each Group regarding to prospective matters - both for the short and medium term-, even when, we perfectly know about the restrictions faced in the economic analysis and econometrical measurements of this field. We also know about the importance of such sphere for the entrepreneurial development, so we have the capacity and experience necessary to face those requirements with the professional responsibility and foundations that available information provides.

The annual fees for the professional services provided by COPADES™ to the members of the GEA™ Program are expressed in domestic currency both for GEA-R and GEA-N.

The membership quota in quetzales is reviewed every year (in January), according to the inflation rate prevailing the last year.

The payment of the annual quota may be done every semester, quarter, and month, by proportional payments to the total or even through a unique anticipated payment.