Guayaquil, although not the capital, is the largest city in Ecuador as well as a thriving port and commercial and financial center. There is rich cultural mix which makes it a lively, vibrant metropolis.
Exports of cocoa, coffee, shrimp and bananas have been the basis of its prosperity. The port handles more than two-thirds of the country’s imports and exports.
Today, city mayor Jaime Nebot says there is much he wants to achieve during his remaining two years in office. “We want to improve the city in terms of jobs, security and a new airport, and to regenerate the urban economy,” he says.

Another goal is to turn the city into a centre for tourism and conventions. The riverfront and boardwalk is being rebuilt and the area is being made more attractive for visitors. A few years ago, few tourists made their way to Guayaquil, but Mr Nebot says they are now arriving in significant numbers.

The previous incumbent is ex-president Leon Febres Cordero, who was mayor of the city for eight years until 2000 and was also president of the Industrial Chamber of Guayaquil. He is a firm believer in decentralization to allow the regions of Ecuador to develop themselves. “All people, regions and provinces need to contribute to the well-being of the country,” he says.
Key to such development are the activities of utilities suppliers such as InterAgua, which was awarded the concession to supply the city’s 3.5 million residents with a steady supply of clean water and a reliable sewerage system.

According to general manager Yvon Mellinger, the aim is to increase efficiency of distribution to deliver water to houses by gravity-fed hoses, eventually eliminating the need to rely on tanqueros – the independent operators who buy water by the liter from filling stations and sell it to poorer households for cash. “We will change this system step by step to increase efficiency and lower consumer costs,” he says.

Joaquin Zevallos, president of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce, says: “We are diversifying exports and making efforts to attract more foreign investment, especially from the U.S and Europe. We haven’t yet developed agri-business and processing industries. Investors can come here and develop these – we have the land and the climate to produce more.”