For 2021, some of the financial institutions competing in the Costa Rican market are betting on placing loans for the purchase of homes, consumer loans and business financing.
In Costa Rica, home purchase loans were already showing positive signs at the end of 2020, since in November of last year the amount of the loan portfolio in question reported a 7% year-on-year increase.
With a $50 million loan from the IDB, the CMI Alimentos business group will expand its operations in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
The loan was placed through IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, and the operation is intended to finance fixed investments that will help CMI Alimentos continue improving its productivity.
Banco Agromercantil de Guatemala announced a $43 million loan for the construction of part of the 54 MW Ventus wind farm to be located in the municipality of Metapán.
In Honduras, the government announced that it will provide coffee growers with 10-year loans and a 10% interest rate, with a three-year grace period.
In the announcement made by President Juan Orlando Hernandez and the head of the Honduran Bank for Production and Housing (Banhprovi), Mayra Falck, it was specified that the maximum amount of credits for working capital will be $83,000.
World Bank financing will be used for recovery from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Resources will be disbursed on a deferred basis in the event of catastrophes, and funds would be activated and disbursed following an official State declaration of public calamity, in accordance with national legislation.
The Tala loan app provides an alternative way to get short-term loans, that doesn’t involve complex procedures that are in use by banks and other lending institutions.
In these tough economic times where banks have increased interest rates that make it harder to get unsecured loans, a simpler way to get a loan is heaven-sent. The Tala loan app provides an alternative way to get short-term loans, that doesn’t involve complex procedures that are in use by banks and other lending institutions. Here, you don’t need a guarantor, security, or a good credit rating. Besides, the loan is instant, unlike other institutions where you would have to wait a minimum of 30 days. If you need a loan from Tala, you have to download the app first. This Tala loan app download guide will help you to install the app on your device.
Within the framework of the political and economic crisis that has limited access to international loans, Nicaragua's National Assembly approved a $100 million loan with a Taiwanese bank, at the request of the Ortega administration.
After U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law known as the "Nica Act" in December 2018, which limits Nicaragua's access to international loans, Daniel Ortega's government has been forced to seek new sources of financing.
CABEI granted a loan to Banco de Costa Rica, which will be used to finance operations by SMEs and business clients in the industrial, agricultural, and cooperative sectors.
The financing was made under the modality of disbursement of global line of credit, intended for working capital and boosting Costa Rican productive sectors, informed a source of the executive.
Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica signed a loan contract with the FCC Consortium to finance the six-lane extension of the beach corridor in Panama, Section I: La Chorrera-Santa Cruz.
The project "Expansion to six lanes, Las Playas Corridor, Section 1: La Chorrera-Santa Cruz, which has an approximate length of 36.3 kilometers, and begins at the end of the Arraiján - La Chorrera highway and ends at the entrance to Santa Cruz (before the crossing over the Lagarto River)," was awarded in November 2017.
In Honduras it has been reported that the $80 million that will be granted to the coffee sector is in the stage of consultation, risk analysis and verification of loan conditions.
Representatives of the Honduran Coffee Institute (Ihcafé) reported that two banking entities presented their proposals to manage the financing, which will be under the modality of syndicated credit, which consists of several institutions lending the funds, but only one will manage them and establish the conditions.
The CABEI has approved a $425 million loan to finance a water supply project in three cantons in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) reported that the funds will be used to finance construction of hydraulic, civil and mechanical structures to achieve the multiple purpose of providing water for irrigation, water for human consumption and future generation of energy.
The Congress has ratified a loan with the Inter-American Development Bank to build two hospitals and make improvements to the health system.
The Legislative Assembly reported that "... After constant approaches to achieve the required consensus, the Legislative Assembly unanimously ratified the loan contract between the Executive and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for $170 million to finance the Integrated Health Program II. With the resources it will be possible, among other things, to carry out construction of a new Rosales Hospital and a General Hospital in the northern zone of San Salvador in Nejapa."
By requiring banks to have additional capital requirements the Sugef aims to discourage consumer loans, mortgages and vehicles loans with long repayment terms.
Arguing that terms of over 30 years for housing loans and more than 5 in consumer loans encourages overindebtedness of Costa Ricans, the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (SUGEF) has presented a proposal toreform the ruleson capital adequacy of financial entities, in order to require entities that carry out these credit operations to have additional capital.
38% of total bank lending corresponds to housing construction, while 35% is used for buying new homes.
Data from the housing loan portfolio in the domestic financial system shows that the proportion of loans requested by Costa Ricans to build their homes is higher than loans used to buy existing homes.
Elfinancierocr.com explains that"...The Costa Rican financial system has a balance of credits which were used for housing amounting to ¢4.6 billion.This amount represents 25% of all outstanding loans in the country (¢ 18 billion). For housing construction, the balance is ¢1.75 billion and, for the purchase of new homes, it is ¢1.62 billion.Both lines represent 73% of the total."