According to the Financial System Superintendent, Salvadoran banking is well capitalized, with strong indicators.
The Superintendent of the Financial System, Luis Armando Montenegro, told Laprensagrafica.com that the Salvadoran banking system is solid, "so at this time it is not necessary to perform stress tests, such as those conducted recently by the FED in the United States..."
The Salvadoran Bank Association will request the SSF to release the $261 million imposed due to the elections.
In late 2008, the Financial System Superintendent (SSF) ordered a 3% increase in liquidity reserves which were at 25% for the protection of deposits if there was a bank run. This increase represented $261 million for the banks which will request for the money to be released as soon as possible.
An analysis of the changes in the dynamics of granting credit, in an interview with the Superintendent of the Salvadorian Financial System.
Luis Armando Montenegro, Superintendent of the Financial System, in an interview published in La Prensa Gráfica, responds to questions about the liquidity of the Salvadorian financial system, the contraction of external credit to the local banking system, changes in the granting of loans, and interest rates, among other issues.
Despite the measures adopted by the Executive to guarantee liquidity, the price of money continued to rise in December.
Elsalvador.com reports: "During the last of quarter of 2008 the interest rate for one year loans increase by one point to 9.58%, according to figures by the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), while for loans for more than a year, it grew 0.65%, to 10.46%.