The Central American Bank for Economic Integration approved a $24 million extension of an existing line of credit, funds that will be invested in the implementation of sustainable production models and forest management and reforestation.
These funds will be used to increase financing for the "Bio-CLIMA Project: Integrated Climate Action to Reduce Deforestation and Strengthen Resilience in the Bosawas and Rio San Juan Biosphere Reserves" on Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast.
For Fitch, the delay in vaccination campaigns constitutes a latent risk of a prolonged pandemic, which would delay the recovery of the region's economies and would cause negative pressures on the risk ratings to be issued in the coming months.
Fitch Ratings issued a bulletin for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean on May 25, in which it warned that given the deep economic contractions in the region and the moderate recovery outlook, there are threats of negative rating pressures.
Within the framework of the fiscal adjustment being discussed in El Salvador in order to sign an agreement with the IMF, local authorities intend to apply VAT, ISR and other specific taxes to companies that sell their products and services online.
At the beginning of March, the Ministry of Finance informed that El Salvador is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan of approximately $1.3 billion.
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 Inter-American Development Bank approved two lines of credit totaling $500 million, resources that will be used by the Government to finance the public budget and policy reforms to ensure fiscal sustainability and maintain macroeconomic stability.
One of the approved lines incorporates contingency measures to increase spending related to the health emergency and targeted support to households and businesses affected by the crisis, informed the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
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.
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.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration approved a line of credit for the Honduran government to finance the Resilient Housing Reconstruction Program in the country.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) informed that it is estimated that approximately 29,500 vulnerable families in the departments of Cortés, Atlántida, Yoro and Santa Bárbara will benefit from the rehabilitation, reconstruction or construction of new housing.
During February 8 and 9, the Ministry of Finance was able to renegotiate close to $130 million corresponding to maturities of domestic debt securities for the years 2021 and 2022.
This is the first exchange of domestic debt in colones to take place in 2021.
Moody's maintained the Salvadoran government's long-term and senior unsecured issuer rating at B3, but decided to change the outlook to negative, a downgrade that reflects persistent concerns about public debt sustainability.
The negative outlook reflects the credit risks associated with the implementation risks of its upcoming fiscal adjustment efforts, high liquidity risks driven by large gross financing needs in 2021-23, and persistent concerns about debt sustainability despite an expected fiscal adjustment, the rating agency explained.
Arguing that the pandemic has had a negative effect on the local economy and Panamanian public finances, Fitch Ratings downgraded the country's sovereign rating from BBB to BBB-.
Regarding forecasts for 2021, the rating agency expects Panama to experience an economic recovery with a real growth of 9.2%, driven by the economic opening, public investment projects such as the construction of Metro Line 3, exports from the copper mine, and the recovery of domestic consumption. This growth trend is expected to be maintained by 2022, informed the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Panama (MEF).
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).
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