This was revealed by data published by the Superintendency of Banks (SIB). "The information relates to loans to large businesses which make up 54,02% of the total with $8.295 billion, while the microcredit sector has the lowest share with 2.41% participation, equivalent to $369 million," reported Prensalibre.com.

According to the SIB, overall defaults decreased to 0.92%, considered by analysts as positive because it means that banks are being more careful when granting credit.

That percentage is "a good sign that there is good management of the credit portfolio and there has been a refinement of it, because it used to be above 3%," says Carlos Gonzalez, an analyst at the Association of Economic and Social Research (ASIES).

Meanwhile, the financial analyst Manuel Perez-Lara, said consumer credit rose by about 17%, although this increase is double that of growth in economic activity it does not seem out of control. "This increase may be a warning sign, but for the moment it does not seem critical," he said.

Source: prensalibre.com

More on this topic

Loans in Dollars Dynamize Banking Business

December 2018

Between November of this year and the same month of 2017, the portfolio of loans granted by Guatemalan banks to the private sector increased 6%, which is caused by the behavior of loans in dollars.

According to figures from the Bank of Guatemala, between November 2017 and the same month in 2018, total credit to the private sector increased from $24.338 million to $25.877 million.

Guatemala: Decline in Credit to Private Sector

May 2017

The decrease in the granting of credits to the business sector has been attributed to legal uncertainty caused by the case of the hydroelectric stations Oxec I and II.

Data from the Bank of Guatemala indicates that as of April 27, the balance of credit granted by the banking system to the private sector amounted to $24 billion, 5.6% more than in the same period in the previous year, but only 0.4% more than in December of last year. In the case of OffShore entities, the figures indicate that loans granted by these institutions up to April 20 totalled $1860 million, recording a year-on-year change of -1.5% and -4.2% compared to December 2016.  

Trade Credit Grows By 37% in Panama

September 2013

In July 2013 the balance on the loan portfolio to the commercial sector was $9,940 million, while in the same month of 2012 it was $7.236 million.

The figures were released by the Panamanian Credit Association. "As of June this year a total of 73,172 active commercial loans was reported, which means an increase of 30.5% compared to the same period in 2012 when there were only about 56,055," reported an article in Panamaamerica.com.pa.

Credit Portfolio in Guatemala Grows 17.4%

September 2013

Up to July banks had $14.963 billion in lendable resources, while in the same month of 2012 the figure was $12.738 billion.

Of that total, the sector of electricity, gas and water was the fastest growing activity with 50.64%, going from a balance of $538 million in 2012 to $810 million in 2013. Second place is held by the business sector which grew 20.92% with $1.394 million.