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.
Between May and June of this year, the average lending rate of commercial banks has fallen from 11.52% to 10.28%, a drop that is explained by the high level of liquidity of the banks and the low placement of credits.
The pandemic that caused the outbreak of covid-19 has hit the financial system, since due to the current market conditions, the active rates have come down between the months of May and July.
In the countries of the region, more than 8 million people are looking for credit on the Internet. Of this group of consumers, approximately 9% explore options for taking out a student loan.
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.
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 coronavirus has left an economic impact in several countries. For this reason, some governments are developing exceptional measures to mitigate its effects. For example, the suspension of tax and mortgage payments to lessen the economic pressure on small businesses and households.
In the United States, interest rates were reduced to almost zero and a US$700 billion stimulus program was launched in a bid to protect its economy, says Mario Miranda, director of finance at MonederoSMART.
Given the political and economic crisis affecting the country since April 2018, a scenario that has combined with the crisis of covid-19, the loan portfolio increased from $5,172 million in March 2018 to $3,404 million at the end of April 2020.
According to figures of the Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Siboif), in the first four months of the year a decrease in the credit portfolio is also reflected, since it went from $3.578 million reported at the closing of 2019 to $3.404 million recorded in April 2020, representing -5% variation for the four-month period in question.
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.
According to Fitch Ratings, banks in Nicaragua will continue to be pressured by the remaining effects of an economic contraction for the second consecutive year, a situation derived from the political crisis affecting the country.
In the midst of the uncertainty generated by the political and economic crisis, banks in Nicaragua have opted to reserve their resources, a situation that is evident in the increase in the liquidity of the system.
According to data from the Superintendencies of Banks and Other Financial Institutions, between March and October of this year, the liquidity of banks as a function of deposits went from 32% to 45%.
Between March 2018 and September 2019, the number of loans granted in Nicaragua by the banking sector has been reduced by around 540,000, a drop attributed to the economic crisis the country is going through.
Data from the Superintendence of Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Siboif), say that in March last year, the month before the onset of the crisis, 1.8 million loans were reported, and in September 2019 the figure fell to 1.26 million.
Fitch Ratings decided to keep the country's risk rating at B, but changed the outlook from negative to stable, arguing that there are some signs of stabilization of Central Bank reserves and commercial bank deposits.
The revision of the outlook reflects the stabilization of central bank reserves and commercial bank deposits, a significant fiscal adjustment and social security reform that have reduced domestic financing needs and a pronounced external rebalancing that has facilitated the external financing requirement, the rating agency reported.