CABEI signed a memorandum of understanding with other Central American organizations to strengthen the development of the regional public debt market.
The agreement was signed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Finance Ministers of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (SECOSEFIN), the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (SECMA) and the Association of Central American Stock Exchanges (BOLCEN).
The rating agency decided to maintain at "B" the long-term and short-term local and foreign currency sovereign credit rating, with a negative outlook indicating the risk of a downgrade in case the Assembly does not approve an Extended Fund Facility or other policy measures.
In the current scenario, covering the government's large financing needs may require resorting to the central bank or other non-conventional financing, highlights the rating agency's analysis.
Due to the deterioration of fiscal indicators resulting from the severe economic impact of the pandemic, Moody's downgraded the Panama Canal Authority's senior unsecured debt rating from A1 to A2.
Given that the A2 rating is three notches above Panama's Baa2 sovereign rating, a rating upgrade is unlikely in the near term. An upgrade would require the ACP to continue to strengthen independently and Panama's sovereign rating to be upgraded, the rating agency said.
The financial resources that the IMF will lend to the Costa Rican government will be used to mitigate the fiscal crisis, strengthen monetary and financial stability, and boost economic recovery in the context of the pandemic crisis.
On March 1, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Costa Rica's request for an IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
In addition to the $1,750 million that the government is seeking to obtain through the loan it is negotiating with the IMF, during the four years between 2022 and 2025 the country plans to place $4,000 million in foreign debt bonds.
During the auction held on February 1, 2021, the placement of domestic debt securities in local currency amounted to the equivalent of $210 million and in dollars to $115 million.
Through this mechanism, ¢129,667 million ($210.5 million) in Domestic Debt Securities Fixed Rate Colones and Sovereign Adjustable Real Domestic Debt Securities were allocated, informed the Ministry of Finance.
Given the agreement reached by the Alvarado administration and the IMF for Costa Rica to access a $1.75 billion loan, the business sector is calling for a reduction in public spending and for detailed information on the scope of the agreement signed by both parties.
In an attempt to ease the fiscal and economic crisis the country is going through, last year the Alvarado administration began negotiations to access a loan for $1.75 billion to be requested from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Central American country placed in the international market $1.25 billion at a rate of 2.2% expiring in 2032 and $1.2 billion at a rate of 3.4% expiring in 2060.
Panama ventured today into the international capital markets through the reopening of Global Bonds expiring in 2032 and 2060 for an amount of $2.45 billion, as part of the financing plan for fiscal year 2021, informed the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
Through a competitive auction of domestic debt securities denominated in Colones, on November 9 the Costa Rican government issued the equivalent of $106 million in the primary market maturing in 2024, $81 million in 2026 and $27 million in 2031.
With this allocation the Treasury reached 80.6% of the maximum amount of issuance for ¢1.8 billion, announced last August 25, during the presentation of the debt plan for the second half of the year, the authorities informed.
Arguing that there is a temporary need for liquidity in colons, on October 26 the Central Bank of Costa Rica decided to participate in the secondary market by buying two different series from the Ministry of Finance, with a maturity of 9 and 10 years.
On April 13, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) authorized its Administration to participate in the secondary securities market of the Ministry of Finance and defined the conditions under which these transactions would be executed, with the objective of mitigating situations of systemic tension caused by temporary liquidity needs in colones, informed the monetary authority.
In an auction process in which more than 200 investors from different parts of the world participated, the bank placed the debt at a rate of 2.5% for a 10-year term.
This transaction is the first international bond issue in the capital markets of Banco Nacional in its almost 116 years of existence and represents the largest issue that any Panamanian financial institution has made.
On July 8, the Salvadoran government issued $1 billion in bonds on the international market at a 9.5% interest rate with a maturity date of 2052.
The resources collected through this international issue are part of the $3 billion debt issuance authorized by the government and will be used to finance the health and economic crisis resulting from the spread of the Covid-19.
The country issued $500 million in the international market with a 12-year term, at a rate of 5.37%, and $700 million in the 30-year term, at an interest rate of 6.13%.
The operation was carried out through the Bank of America (BOFA), one of the most important investment banks in the world, chosen through a competitive process, informed the Public Finance Ministry (Minfin).
The Ministry of Finance issued Treasury Bonds for an amount equivalent to $116 million, of which $52 million was in local currency and $64 million in foreign currency.
The overall amount of Treasury Bonds issued by the Republic of Guatemala so far, amounts to $414 million, corresponding to Fiscal Year 2020, of which one million correspond to Treasury Bonds issuances for small investors.
The rating agency kept the country's debt rating at B3, but decided to change the outlook from stable to positive, arguing that the government's liquidity risks have been substantially reduced.
The affirmation of El Salvador's B3 sovereign ratings reflects high public debt ratios and a growing interest burden, the rating agency said.