After El Salvador approved a legal framework that recognizes Bitcoin as a legal tender, the cryptocurrency exchange Coincaex announced that at the end of June it will open an office in the country.
Following the approval of the Bitcoin Law in El Salvador by the members of the Legislative Assembly, which creates a legal framework that recognizes this digital currency as legal tender in the country, the IMF warns that financial and legal risks have arisen.
Following the approval of the Bitcoin Law in El Salvador by the deputies of the Legislative Assembly, there is now a new legal framework that recognizes this digital currency as legal tender in the country.
The President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, sent to the Legislative Assembly, through the Minister of Economy, Maria Luisa Hayem, the bill to allow the use of Bitcoin in the country.
After multiple consultations, the Superintendency of Banks announced that virtual currencies or assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and other similar ones, are not legal tender in the country.
The Superintendency of Banks, derived from the different consultations made by economic and financial agents regarding the use of virtual currencies or assets, known as cryptocurrencies, informs the population that in accordance with the Monetary Law, the monetary unit of Guatemala is the Quetzal and only the Bank of Guatemala can issue banknotes and coins within the territory of the Republic, therefore virtual currencies are not legal tender in the country, explains an official statement.
Given the outbreak of covid-19 and the imposition of restrictions on economic activity, between February and June of this year the amount of loans granted by the banking sector reported a 1.2% drop.
Data from the Superintendence of the Financial System (SSF) indicate that between February (the month before the beginning of the health and economic crisis) and June of this year, the credit portfolio contracted by $149 million, from $13.276 million to $13.127 million.
Preventive reasons for unforeseen expenses in the context of the pandemic and low liable interest rates are some of the factors that explain the increase in the balance of short-term savings instruments in the Costa Rican market.
In the context of the spread of covid-19 and the restriction of several productive activities, the broad money supply (including cash held by the public and highly liquid financial instruments in national and foreign currency) showed a 35.7% year-on-year growth rate in June 2020, considerably higher than the 2.7% recorded in the same month in 2019, while the balance of term instruments fell, reported the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).
Setting a maximum usury rate and preventing clients from getting into debt to the extent of reducing their income below the minimum wage line are some of the changes that have arisen due to the application of the new law that has been in force since June 20.
On June 20, 2020 the Usury Law was published in the scope number 150 to La Gaceta number 147, which establishes the methodology to be used to set the maximum interest rate, from which the crime of usury will be considered to exist, details an official statement.
At a regional level, nearly 16 million people are looking to purchase financial services online. Of this group of consumers, approximately 11% are exploring options for acquiring a credit card.
The interactive information system developed by CentralAmericaData, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the new commercial environment that has emerged in an accelerated manner.
Local authorities decided to raise by 10% the minimum capital required for the opening of a bank or the operation of existing ones.
The Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Siboif) announced that the minimum capital required for banks that already operate or wish to enter was raised by $1.03 million, from $10.67 million to $11.70 million.
Panamanian authorities announced that as of September 2020, it will begin to exchange financial information automatically with the South American country.
Negotiations between the two countries began in 2019 and at the technical meetings they agreed on the mechanisms that will be used to automatically double-track the information.
The National Assembly of Panama approved in third debate the bill that creates the Superintendence of Non-Financial Subjects, and now the proposal only awaits the approval of the Executive.
The bill, which was sent by the Executive Branch to be analyzed in extraordinary sessions and which seeks to establish the exclusive competence to regulate and supervise non-financial regulated entities administratively with the aim of preventing money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, has already passed the procedure in the National Assembly.
Iconi Holding and Intermarket are the companies that the Securities Regulator has warned not have support or supervision in the country.
The Superintendency of Securities (Sugeval) has updated the list of unsupervised and unregulated entities for which reports have been received of possible unauthorized securities offerings, which could even be fraudulent.
Act 311 establishes a system of coordination and institutional cooperation between local financial control centers and creates a Superintendency of the Stock Market in the reform of Decree Law 1 of 1999 and Act 10 of 1993.
A statement by the National Assembly of Panama says that the financial system will be reordered and a Superintendency of the Stock Market created after the assembly passed the bill on its third reading.