Within the framework of the fiscal adjustment being discussed in El Salvador in order to sign an agreement with the IMF, local authorities intend to apply VAT, ISR and other specific taxes to companies that sell their products and services online.
At the beginning of March, the Ministry of Finance informed that El Salvador is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan of approximately $1.3 billion.
CABEI signed a memorandum of understanding with other Central American organizations to strengthen the development of the regional public debt market.
The agreement was signed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Finance Ministers of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (SECOSEFIN), the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (SECMA) and the Association of Central American Stock Exchanges (BOLCEN).
In this regional context of economic crisis, falling fiscal revenues and increasing public debt, Costa Rica's debt level is expected to rise to 75% of GDP by 2021, and in the case of El Salvador, the indicator could exceed 85%.
The outbreak of covid-19 in Central America forced the government to declare severe household quarantines and to restrict several economic activities, restrictions that in some cases are still in place after five months of health and economic crisis.
On July 8, the Salvadoran government issued $1 billion in bonds on the international market at a 9.5% interest rate with a maturity date of 2052.
The resources collected through this international issue are part of the $3 billion debt issuance authorized by the government and will be used to finance the health and economic crisis resulting from the spread of the Covid-19.
In order to face the health crisis, the Assembly authorized the issuance of securities for up to $2 billion, which will be issued in the national or international market.
According to the motion, 70% of the funds obtained will be used, as a priority, to attend to the health emergency and may be allocated to the fund for direct monetary transfers to economically vulnerable households, to cover the income shortfalls in the current budget, generated by covid-19 and to incorporate the resources into the General State Budget 2020, informed the Legislative Assembly.
The rating agency kept the country's debt rating at B3, but decided to change the outlook from stable to positive, arguing that the government's liquidity risks have been substantially reduced.
The affirmation of El Salvador's B3 sovereign ratings reflects high public debt ratios and a growing interest burden, the rating agency said.
Standard & Poor's has given a B+ rating to the $1.5 billion debt issue that Costa Rica expects to place in the international market in November.
"Global Ratings today assigned a "B+" rating to the prospective reopening of Costa Rica's notes which have a 7.158% rate maturing in 2045 and a "B+" rating in its planned issuance of notes maturing in 2031, the latter issue still does not have a defined trading rate," the rating agency said on November 8.
Because the Debt/GDP ratio increased from 69.4% to 70.7% between 2018 and 2019, Fitch forecasts that, in the absence of additional fiscal adjustment, the debt burden will continue to grow in the coming years.
A political stalemate leading to the failure of the 2020 budget proposal and the approval of the necessary external financing could lead to pressure on El Salvador's rating (B- / Stable), informed the risk rating agency.
Although the goal for this year was to issue $100 million in debt bonds, during the first quarter the Nicaraguan government only awarded $1.1 million, doubting the level of investor confidence.
According to the "Public Debt Report, First Quarter 2019", prepared by the Central Bank of Nicaragua, from January to March regarding Investment Securities in dollars, 1.03 million was issued at an average rate of 5.31% and an average term of 7 months.
After the country issued $1.097 million in Eurobonds for a 30-year term, Moody's gave them a "B3" rating, while Fitch Ratings assigned them a "B".
Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'B-' rating to El Salvador's $1.097 million notes due January 2050. The notes have a coupon of 7.1246%, the agency said.
The Fitch statement dated July 31 adds that "... The proceeds from the issue will be used in accordance with local laws for general budgetary purposes, including the redemption of bonds maturing this year. The rating of the bonds is aligned with El Salvador's long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) of 'B-' with a stable outlook."
The issue was announced at an initial rate of 7.5% and a 30-year term, and $1.097 million was issued, with total demand five times greater than the amount of the issue.
The issue was for a 30-year term, maturing in 2050 and with a 7.1246% coupon, informed the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).
Authorities from both countries agreed to work on the unification of their stock markets, starting with the issuance of a quota of Guatemalan subsidized debt directed to Salvadoran investors.
Representatives of the Guatemalan Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance of El Salvador informed that before the end of this fiscal year, the Guatemalan subsidized debt will be approximately $13 million.
The IDB loan will be used to finance the payment of pensions in general and of the Armed Forces, subsidize electricity, and increase salary scales for police officers and teachers.
The $200 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has an amortization period of 20 years, a grace period of five and a half years, and an interest rate based on LIBOR, according to the international organization.
"The 'B-' rating reflects the recent history of local currency defaults, as well as the political uncertainties influencing congressional approval of key economic reform measures."
This is the second consecutive year that the agency decided not to change the country's rating, as Fitch Ratings reported a year ago that it had decided to maintain the rating of foreign currency debt at "B-", and on that occasion argued that political tensions made it difficult to reach agreements on government financing.
The rating agency decided to keep the debt rating at B3 with a stable outlook, arguing that the country's tax burden is high, but stable.
The last rating variation was made in February 2018, when it was reported that at that time the political agreement reached to approve the resources to pay pension funds and the reduction in liquidity risk based the decision of the rating agency to raise the score from Caa1 to B3.