In line with the revision from stable to negative for the outlook for sovereign debt, Fitch Ratings has also downgraded the outlook for the debt of state banks and two private banks.
From a statement issued by Fitch Ratings:
Fitch Ratings-Monterrey/San Salvador-24 January 2018: Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) of various Costa Rican banks and revised the Rating Outlook to Negative from Stable.
Arguing an attempt to control credit growth in dollars, the Central Bank will apply a reserve limit of 15% to banks that receive lines of foreign funding in that currency.
The banking sector has opposed the measure, asserting that it will result in an increase in the cost of credit in dollars, affecting the business sector, especially exporters and importers who normally resort to credit lines in dollars to finance their operations abroad.
Banks authorized by the Superintendency of Securities may perform operations of clearing and settlement of securities in the stock market, which until now has only been done by brokerage houses.
With this modification in the regulations banks may provide more support for trading by its investors, providing the service of clearing and settlement of securities transactions which previously were only handled by brokerage houses.
The bank BAC San José de Costa Rica has issued $210 million at a 7-year term securitizing the flow of deposits received from abroad in corporate accounts in the form of remittances or payments for exports or imports.
Although the bank did not specify the interest rate for the issue, Gerardo Corrales, general manager of the company, told Elfinancierocr.com that "... it is a fixed return."
The scare liquidity of colones explains the lower growth of loans in this currency, while credit growth in dollars continues to lose strength.
Added to the diminished liquidity in colones putting downward pressure on credit growth in that currency, is uncertainty at enterprise-level over recent changes in the exchange rate and lower credit demand for real estate projects, power generation and tourism, as explained by bankers to Nacion.com.
The bank, owned by Colombia's Grupo Aval has bought Grupo Financiero, which includes Banco Reformador in Guatemala and Transcom Bank Limited of Barbados.
The only thing now pending is approval of this transaction by the financial market's supervisory authorities in the country. According to the general manager of BAC San José in Costa Rica, Gerardo Corrales, the intention of this purchase is to strengthen corporate banking in the Guatemalan market..
Credit histories of businesses and individuals will be more thoroughly reviewed, as well as their actual repayment capacity.
"We want entities to analyze peoples's debts with everyone, because they may have a loan here and there, and in the end owe millions," said Javier Cascante, chief of the General Superintendence of Financial Entities (Sugef).
Private banks operate with margins between interest rates which are considerably lower than state banks.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com points out that "the five banks with the lowest margins in the country are private ones, as is clear from a study by EF based on data reported to the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Sugef) for December, 2012 ".
At the Banco de Costa Rica the volume of assets received in lie of payment increased by 70% compared to 2011.
A survey by Elfinancierocr.com between 6 financial institutions, including the four public banks in the country, revealed that in February of this year, there were 1259 properties in their possession, in contrast to the 884 properties that were reported in the same period 2012, ie there was a 42% increase.
For the volume of assets and loan portfolios they manage, cooperatives together make up the fourth largest financial operator ivn the country.
In Costa Rica, the 30 cooperatives under the supervision of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Sugef) exceed in value the assets and loan portfolio of the "private bank BAC San José and are below the banks, Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica and Banco Popular which are funded by public capital. "
State banks are leading this growth, although private banks still retain 61% of the total loan portfolio in the U.S. currency.
An article in Nacion.com reports that "The growth in dollar loans from public banks is striking because it is a market that traditionally is dominated more by private financial institutions."
As an explanation for the growth in dollar loans, one point mentioned is the lack of perception exchange risk due to the behavior of the exchange rate, which for a long time has been very close to the lower limit of the exchange rate band set by the Central Bank, this coupled with the relatively low interest rates for loans in foreign currency.
The government of Costa Rica is promoting a legal reform that would transfer the cost of financial supervision to banking institutions, insurance companies and pension operators.
The legal amendment was included in the Bill for the Efficient Management of Public Finances already sent to the Legislature.
So far, "the Central Bank is funding 80% of the operation of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Sugef), the Superintendent of Securities (Sugeval), the Superintendent of Pensions (Supen) and the Superintendent of Insurance (SUGESE)," reported Nacion.com.
To date, about 8 banks in Guatemala, 4 in El Salvador and 3 in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica offer the service; there is still much ground to cover in the region.
The director of Technology at the company Ebclosión, Derick Brol, indicates that in Central America in 2011 there were mobile phone banking services in about 8 banks in Guatemala, 4 in El Salvador and 3 in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Only the Banco Popular plans to open ten new offices, the rest have plans from only one or two openings.
For the banks Nacional BCR, BCT, Lafise and others, it will be a year of moderate growth and their plans will be to participate in new developments or strategic communities.
"In 2011, many of these entities carried out expansion processes: Banco General opened offices in Rohrmoser, the banco Lafise in Multiplaza Escazú, San José, Alajuela and Liberia, the Banco Nacional in Bagaces and Puerto Viejo, and the BCR in Santa Ana, Alajuela, Ciudad Quesada, Perez Zeledon and Pococí.