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.
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.
As of June, 883 correspondents in El Salvador were registered in El Salvador, with a total of $128 million in transactions.
Most of the transactions reported by correspondents, which include shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, or natural persons, correspond to credit card and collector payments.These two types of transactions alone accounted for almost 70% of the transactions reported by correspondents up to November 2016.
In the first half of the year, bank transactions totalling $395 million were reported as having characteristics related to money laundering.
The value of transactions reported as suspicious between January and July this year is nearly double that of suspicious transactions in the first half of last year, when $200 million was recorded.
In May, approval could be given to the regulation of the law that obliges real estate agents, pawn shops and lawyers, among others, to report suspicious operations of more than $10,000.
The socialization process of the regulation of the Law for the regulation of designated non-financial professional activities (APNFD) has already ended, and Congress estimates that next month it could be approved.
The amendment to the money laundering law approved in the first debate requires accountants, lawyers and real estate agents to report suspicious transactions made by their clients.
Bill 19.951 reforming the Law on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Drugs of Unauthorized Use, Related Activities, Legalization of Capital and Financing of Terrorism was approved in a first debate by the Legislature on April 21.The new regulation establishes the obligations on professionals engaged in non-financial activities, such as lawyers, accountants, notaries and real estate agents, once the law is fully approved and enacted.
In the last quarter of 2016, the total amount of transactions made through the network of banking agents grew by 26% compared to the same period in 2015, and the average amount per transaction increased from $99 to $118.
Data from theQuarterly Bulletin of Financial Inclusionby the Superintendency of Banks indicates that between September and December of last year, more than 7.8 million transactions were made, including deposits, withdrawals and credit payments made through the network of banking agents, 26% more than in the same period in the previous year.
The maximum amount allowed for banking transactions in cash in foreign and national currency has been lowered from $10,000 to $4,000.
From a resolution by the Central Bank of Honduras:
For purposes of the application of Articles 8, 12, 23 and 25 and in compliance with the provisions of Article 86 of the Special Law against Money Laundering the following amounts have been established:
Banks must report to the Institute on Drugs any financial transactions that do not correspond to a tax return.
A decree by the Solis administration amends the regulations of Act 8204 against drug trafficking, related activities, money laundering, financing of terrorism and organized crime.
A year after laws were approved to prevent money laundering in Panama there are still companies that have not been registered and will not be able to report suspicious transactions.
A bill against money laundering tightens control of activities such as leasing and factoring and imposes harsher penalties on those not reporting suspicious transactions.
The proposal was prepared by the Superintendency of Banks in Guatemala (SIB), and aims to establish tighter controls and more severe sanctions in order to improve mechanisms for preventing money laundering. Among the changes are a raise from $10 to $2 million in sanctions against those who fail to comply with the reporting of suspicious transactions.
An agreement is in effect which requires banks to immediately register all customer transactions made through online banking services or at ATMs.
From April 1 all banking transactions made by the ACH system in Panama may be compensated and be made available to customers on the same day of the transaction. Agreement 001-2016 with the Superintendency of Banks requires banks to immediately register all transactions that customers make through online banking services or ATMs.
17-digit customer account numbers will be replaced with a global code which will facilitate international transactions and interbank deposits.
Business customers and financial institutions must prepare for the change to the National Payments System announced by the Central Bank of Costa Rica. From December 31, 2016 client account numbers will change from being a tool for inter-bank transactions to being an international code for the automatic processing of payments and receipts between countries.
Payment transfers and basic services are the types of transaction most made by the 708 thousand users of mobile financial services recorded in the country.
82.9% of users of financial services are concentrated in the department of Guatemala, equivalent to 587,366 affiliated mobile customers. The average amount of transactions completed using this system nationwide is $85.
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