In the Business Rhythm Survey, which is conducted twice a year in 25 Chambers of Commerce in the country, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce consulted 462 companies among its affiliates between August 1 and 5 regarding the performance of their sales, exports, employment and investment.

All these indicators registered a growth in the first semester of 2022, compared to the second semester of 2021. Companies were also asked about the difficulties they face.

Sales rebounded • After 4 consecutive semesters of negative balance, sales continued to recover lost ground. • 32% of the companies in Bogota reported an increase in sales, while at the national level, 29% reported an increase in sales. • The average increase in sales in the first half of the year was 23% for Bogota and 22% for the nation. Exports were boosted • n the first half of 2022, the percentage of companies that exported increased by 4 p.p. compared to the previous measurement. It went from 7% to 11%. • This percentage is much higher than the national figure of 5.1%. The main destinations are: USA, Ecuador, Chile. Peru, Venezuela, Panama, Germany, Costa Rica. Lack of interest and lack of knowledge of procedures, main barriers to exporting • Most companies in Bogota and the nation stated that they do not export due to lack of interest. In the case of the capital, this percentage is 29% and 39% in the case of the Nation. • In Bogota, the second reason for not exporting is the lack of knowledge of the procedures. In the nation, they consider that the domestic market is sufficient. • The Nation considers that the domestic market is sufficient. Employment was also boosted • In the first half of 2022, the percentage of companies reporting an increase in the number of workers in Bogota rose by 10 percentage points to 20%. • Nationally, 14% of the companies said that the number of workers increased. Investment continued on the growth path • In the first half of 2022, the percentage of companies in Bogota that invested in machinery or equipment to expand their production capacity increased to 22%. At the national level, this indicator was 27%. Digital transformation is a reality in companies • In Bogota, 59% of the companies stated that they have already carried out or are in the process of digital transformation. At the national level, this percentage is 52%. • In Bogota, 18% say they are interested in becoming digitally transformed but do not know how to do it. • A low percentage considers it important, but has not yet implemented it (13%), or it has not been contemplated (10%).