As part of the health emergency generated by the spread of covid-19, the Bank of Guatemala decided to reduce the prime interest rate again, from 2.25% to 2%.
The Monetary Board considered that, in the last few days, the perspectives of world economic growth for 2020 have deteriorated considerably, due to the persistent propagation of the coronavirus, which has increased the volatility and uncertainty at a global level, informed the Bank of Guatemala.
Arguing that the impact of covid-19 will be significant in the context of global and local economic slowdown, the Central Bank decided to lower the leading interest rate of monetary policy by 50 basis points, from 2.75% to 2.25%.
The decrease in the leading interest rate of the monetary policy seeks to help contain the deceleration of the economic activity and employment in the short term and reduce the cost of credit, informed the Banco de Guatemala.
Arguing that the main economic indicators show a stable behavior, the Central Bank decided at the beginning of the year to maintain the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy at 2.75%.
From the Bank of Guatemala's statement:
February 20th, 2020. The Monetary Board, in its session celebrated on February 19, based on the integral analysis of the external and internal economic situation, after evaluating the Inflation Risks Balance, decided to keep the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy at 2.75%.
Arguing that the economic activity and the execution of public expenditure report a behavior attached to the growth forecasts for 2019, the Central Bank decided to maintain again at 2.75% the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy.
From the Banco de Guatemala statement:
Guatemala, November 28, 2019. The Monetary Board, in its session celebrated on November 27, based on the integral analysis of the external and internal economic situation, after evaluating the Inflation Risks Balance, decided to keep the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy at 2.75%.
Arguing that the economic activity reports a behavior attached to the forecasts of growth for 2019, the Central Bank decided to maintain in 2.75% the level of the leading interest rate of monetary policy.
The inflation forecasts for 2019 and 2020 are located within the tolerance margin of the goal established by the Monetary Board, was another of the arguments of the monetary authority to keep the reference rate without variations.
For the third time, in this year, the Banco de Guatemala confirmed that it decided to keep the monetary policy rate at 2.75%, since the short term indicators of the economic activity show a dynamism that adjusts to the expected.
From the Banco de Guatemala press release:
Guatemala, May 30, 2019. The Monetary Board, in its session held on May 29, based on the integral analysis of the external and internal economic situation, after evaluating the Inflation Risks Balance, decided to keep the level of the leading interest rate of the monetary policy at 2.75%.
A slowdown in the domestic economy and slow recovery of the external sector has led the Bank of Guatemala to reduce the monetary policy rate from 4% to 3.5% .
From a statement issued by the Bank of Guatemala (BANGUAT):
The Monetary Board, based on a comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, after having heard of the Inflation Risks Balance, has decided to reduce the level of leading monetary policy interest rate from 4% to 3.5% .
The amount of inflation expected in 2015 is one of the reasons why the Monetary Board has decided to reduce the interest rate benchmark from 4.5% to 4%, a level not seen since 2005.
From a statement from the Bank of Guatemala:
The Monetary Board, based on a comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, after having heard of the Inflation Risks Balance, has decided to reduce the level of leading monetary policy interest rate from 4.50% to 4%.
Considering the main internal and external variables stable, the Bank of Guatemala is keeping the leading policy rate, a major reference for interest rates in the country, unchanged.
From a statement issued by the Bank of Guatemala:
The Monetary Board, based on a comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, after having been made aware of the Balance Inflation Risks, has decided to keep the rate of the main monetary policy interest at 4.50% .
The Monetary Board, at its meeting on July 31, decided to keep the level of the monetary policy leading interest rate at 5.25%.
From a press release by the Bank of Guatemala:
The Monetary Board in its meeting today decided to keep the level of the monetary policy leading interest rate at 5.25%, based on comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, after finding out about the Balance Inflation Risks.
Taking into account inflation expectations, the Monetary Board has increased the leading interest rate by 0.25% , going from 5% to 5.25%.
From a press release issued by the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat):
The Monetary Board in its meeting today, after learning the balance of inflation risks, based on comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, has decided to raise the level of the monetary policy leading interest rate by 25 base points, going from 5.00% to 5.25%.
The Monetary Board, at its meeting on March 19, decided to keep the level of its monetary policy leader interest rate at 5.00%.
From a press release by the Bank of Guatemala (Banguat):
The Monetary Board in its meeting held today, decided to maintain at the level of 5% the leader monetary policy interest rate, based on comprehensive analysis of the external and internal situation, after having seen the Balance Inflation Risks .
The Monetary Board believes that there are now conditions, limited and temporary, to reduce the monetary policy leading interest rate.
A statement from the Bank of Guatemala reads:
MONETARY BOARD REDUCES LEAD POLICY RATE BY 50 BASIS POINTS
The Monetary Board, at its meeting today decided to reduce the level of the leading interest rate for monetary policy by 50 base points from 5.50% to 5.00%, based on comprehensive analysis of the foreign and domestic situation, after reviewing the Inflation Risks Balance, and the results of the mechanical shift of semi-structural Macroeconomic Model for June and orientation of the indicative variables of monetary policy.
The Monetary Board of the Bank of Guatemala has taken the decision based on comprehensive analysis of the foreign and domestic situation.
A statement from the Bank of Guatemala reads:
THE MONETARY BOARD HOLDS LEADING MONETARY POLICY INTEREST RATE AT 5.50%
Guatemala, April 25, 2012
The Monetary Board, at its meeting held today, decided to keep the leading monetary policy interest rate at 5.50%, based on comprehensive analysis of the foreign and domestic situation, after having receiving the Inflation Risks Balance, and the results of the mechanical shift April semi-structural macroeconomic model and the orientation of the indicative variables of monetary policy.
The Monetary Board has maintained the leading interest rate for monetary policy at 5.5%.
At its meeting held on February 15th , 2012, the Monetary Board decided unanimously to maintain the level of the monetary policy leading interest rate at 5.50%, based on a comprehensive analysis of economic and financial events, internally and externally, after having been informed about the Inflation Risks Balance, as well as the results of the first implementation in 2012 of the semi-structural Macroeconomic Model and the orientation of the indicative variables of monetary policy, according to a press release by Banguat.