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.
In the last few months, interest in credit cards has been increasing in the digital environment, a rise that is mainly explained by the behavior of consumers in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Through a system monitoring changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
The current business scenario ended up breaking down several barriers, and now there are more customers who demand the online services of financial institutions, which are challenged to facilitate digital processes and in turn apply strict security standards.
In the last four months, in most Central American cities, bank clients have moved away from the bank's service points, because between the home quarantines decreed due to the spread of covid-19 and the preference to avoid attending places where large numbers of people can congregate, consumers are choosing to look for ways to carry out transactions digitally.
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.
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.
Arguing that the country's situation is complex and that the need for greater liquidity to meet its immediate responsibilities has had consequences on its funding sources, Factoring S.A. announced its exit from the local stock market.
Managers of the financial institution reported that the company began operations in 1998 and in 2011 was authorized by the Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Siboif), to make issues in the stock market.
During the second quarter of 2019, the amount of electronic payment services provided was $5,787 million, 40% less than in the same period of 2018.
The fall is mainly explained by the lower value traded in the Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) module. The latter was because of the change in the operability of the daily operations of the NCB which, contrary to the second quarter of 2018, were liquidated outside the Nicaraguan Interbank Electronic Payments System (SINPE), reported the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN).
On February 14th and 15th, representatives of banks, international financial institutions and risk rating agencies will meet in Panama City to discuss issues related to the sector.
The event called "International Banking Congress for Regulators & Bankers," will be organized by the Superintendence of Banks of Panama (SBP) and seeks to address issues such as Basel III, prevention of money laundering, de-risking, new risks facing the industry, financial innovation-Fintech, cybersecurity, among others.
During the second quarter of 2018 the amount of electronic payment services provided amounted to $10.455 billion, 21% more than in the same period in 2017.
Payment services offered by the Central Bank of Nicaragua were channeled mainly through the Nicaraguan InterBank Electronic Payments System (SINPE), with transactions amounting to 323,569.7 million córdobas (93.7 percent of the services offered by the BCN), reported the institution.
During the first quarter of 2018, the amount of electronic payment services provided totaled $16,254 million, 62% more than in the same period in 2017.
The Central Bank of Nicaragua reported that within the operations of electronic payments made in the first three months of the year, "... most are transactions in the BCN (88.7% of the total), although the ACH shows significant growth (131% in relation to the first quarter of the previous year)."
In 2017, the amount of electronic payment services provided totaled $40.510 billion, which represented about three times the value of Nicaraguan GDP.
In 2017 the value of transactions increased by 15.6% with respect to 2016, behavior explained mainly by a greater dynamism in the operations of the Automated Clearing House (ACH), as these grew by 198%, while BCN operations did so by 7.8%.
In 2016 the Latin American forum that brings together over 500 companies from the service industry will be held in San Jose.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica:
San Jose, Costa Rica, November 26, 2015: The Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) and the Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives (CINDE), announced that the IDB has named Costa Rica as the host for 2016 for one of the most important events in Latin America for the corporate services industry: "OUTSOURCE2LAC". The decision was made official last week, during the fifth edition of the forum, held in Guadalajara, Mexico.
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.
Government to government agreements simplify compliance with the rule that seeks transparency in the finances of U.S. citizens abroad.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that "the Foreign Account Compliance Act (FATCA) is a reality and the truth is that to date, there are very few financial institutions in our region who are prepared to meet the requirements of this U.S. legislation. The reason: the majority are waiting for clarification on some gray areas, especially given the possibility that the U.S. government will sign intergovernmental agreements which will simplify the reporting process. "
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