After the Nicaraguan Assembly approved a bill that forces local banks to allow public officials sanctioned by OFAC to have an account, there are fears that the country will be isolated from the international financial system.
A statement issued by the National Assembly on February 3 explains that the deputies approved the Law Initiative of Reform and Addition to the Law for the Protection of the Rights of Consumers and Users, a legislative project which guarantees a better and greater protection of the rights of consumers and users in the access to goods and services as a human right recognized by the Nicaraguan State.
Between July and October 2020, the number of people in El Salvador exploring mortgage options online increased by 18%, and the number of Costa Rican consumers looking to buy credit cards decreased by 60%.
CentralAmericaData's interactive platform Consumer Insights monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets in the region and in other Latin American countries, with fundamental information to understand their behavior, new trends and anticipate eventual changes in their purchase patterns.
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.
Fitch Ratings agreed to change the perspective of the region's banks from stable to negative, arguing that the current health crisis will affect financial institutions in all countries.
Considering the measures that countries have adopted in the last 15 days in economic matters, following the spread of covid-19, Fitch expects that there will be a decrease in the issuance of loans.
The impact of the coronavirus crisis on the financial sector in Central America is expected to be felt mainly in services related to stock brokerage and investment advice, where a drop is expected.
The "Information System for the Impact Analysis of Covid-19 on Business", prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, measures the degree of impact that the crisis will have on companies according to their sector or economic activity, during the coming months.
Henceforth, the Central Bank will be responsible for issuing operating licenses for exchange bureaus and remittance service providers operating in the country.
Resolutions CD-BCN-LIX-1-19 and CD-BCN-LIX-2-19 were published in the Official Journal, La Gaceta, on March 19, 2020, by which the Board of Directors of the BCN authorized the "Regulations for Providers of Foreign Exchange and/or Purchase Services" and the "Regulations for Remittance Payment Services", respectively, reported the Central Bank of Honduras.
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.
Since the political and economic crisis began in Nicaragua, credit placement has fallen, while delinquency and loan restructuring have increased.
Data from the Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Siboif) indicate that between April 2018 and February 2019, a period during which the political crisis in the country has deepened, the fall in the net credit portfolio was 16%.
The Honduran Banco Atlántida has received authorization to operate in the Nicaraguan financial market.
As of November 15, the Honduran bank will have 180 days to comply with the requirements in the law for banks and financial institutions.
"...Through a resolution published in La Gaceta on November 15, the board of directors of the Siboif made official the authorization for the constitution of a banking corporation under the name: `Banco Atlántida de Nicaragua S.A. or simply Banco Atlántida Nicaragua or Banco Atlántida'."
Corporación Financiera de Inversiones, owned by Grupo Pellas, has confirmed acquisition of the bank.
Representatives from Corporación Financiera de Inversiones announced that they will be expanding the business model of Procredit, which up until now had been focused on the segment of small and medium enterprises.
In a statement, the company led by Carlos Pellas detailed that they"... will remain committed to providing the best attention to the needs of its current customers, expanding its business model to offer new products and services by implementing innovative technologies in its operations".
On October 12 and 13 representatives from the banking and financial sector will be gathering together in Panama City to discuss issues relating to regulation, business and investment.
The International Finance Summit is an event being organized by the Banking Association of Panama and will be held at the Hotel Trump Ocean Club Convention Center.
The loan portfolio grew by 23% in December 2015, up from 19.4% a year earlier, confirming the momentum of the Nicaraguan banking sector.
From the Monetary and Financial Report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN):
In 2015 the National Financial System (SFN) continued to perform favorably in most of its indicators, with the most noteworthy being the dynamism of the loan portfolio and deposits.
As announced in March, starting January 2015 the number of formats of checks in circulation in the country will be reduced from 800 to 5.
From a statement issued by the Association of Private Banks of Nicaragua (ASOBANP):
The Private Banks Association of Nicaragua (ASOBANP) today invited clients of the entities which are members to approach the nearest branch of their bank before December 31, 2014 in order to upgrade their checkbooks, to ensure greater security for checks.
The microcredit portfolio in Latin America and the Caribbean is worth over $40 billion, is awarded by more than 1,000 institutions, and reaches more than 22 million customers.
From a statement issued by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB):
A new report documents significant expansion of microcredit in Latin America and the Caribbean
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador - Microcredit in Latin America and the Caribbean remains strong and continues its expansion of the last decade, experiencing an increase in their number of customers, a variety of institutions and a downward trend in interest rates according to new data released here today by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the IDB Group.
Security of documents is being reinforced using a new type of paper, watermarks, and visible and invisible fibers.
The Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) and the Association of Private Banks have agreed to implement, as of March 15, a series of reforms for bank checks. The goal is to stop the falsification of instruments such as these used to transfer money.