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.
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 IMF approved a two-year agreement in favor of the Central American country under the Precautionary and Liquidity Line for an amount equivalent to $2.7 billion, which will serve as insurance against extreme external shocks derived from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Access to the LPL in the first year will be in an amount equivalent to about $1.35 billion.
Strengthening the confidence of economic agents through a solution to the problem of public finances and moving forward with the process of vaccinating the population are key factors for the Costa Rican economy to recover quickly in the new year.
The spread of covid-19 and the restrictions imposed at the local and global levels severely affected most of Costa Rica's productive sectors, to the extent that the unemployment rate climbed to historical levels, several businesses were closed and economic activity fell sharply.
In the context of the economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, the CABEI approved a line of credit that the Panamanian government will use to finance the general state budget and programs for health protection, education and food security.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) approved $250 million as part of the Development Policy Operations Program (DPO) to the Republic of Panama to financially support the country's economic recovery, the financial agency reported.
Although the Alvarado administration reversed the initial proposal to ask the IMF for $1.75 billion in financing and called for an inter-sectoral dialogue, Costa Rica is semi-paralyzed by the blockades that are taking place on various roads in the country.
CABEI approved a line of credit for the Salvadoran government to finance health care programs focused on mitigating the covid-19 outbreak and plans to reactivate the local economy.
Supporting macroeconomic stability, assisted by the Fiscal Responsibility Law, and strengthening the capacity to respond to the pandemic, through the programs that the government has implemented in response to the emergency, are two of the objectives that the loan approval is intended to fulfill.
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).
To ensure financing for its future functions, the Costa Rican government will seek loans from the World Bank, IDB, CABEI and CAF during 2020, and plans to insist on the approval of $4.5 billion in Eurobonds.
For this year, the Costa Rican government plans to continue negotiating loans for budget support with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the Andean Development Corporation - Latin American Development Bank (CAF).
With the deadline for Congress to approve the 2020 public budget expiring, the Guatemalan government must work with the 2019 budget, so some investments in public infrastructure could come to a halt in the first months of the year.
Last November 30, the deadline for the Congress of the Republic to approve the draft budget of income and expenditures of the nation for 2020, which amounted to Q91.9 billion ($11.9 billion) and was not endorsed by most deputies.
Because the Debt/GDP ratio increased from 69.4% to 70.7% between 2018 and 2019, Fitch forecasts that, in the absence of additional fiscal adjustment, the debt burden will continue to grow in the coming years.
A political stalemate leading to the failure of the 2020 budget proposal and the approval of the necessary external financing could lead to pressure on El Salvador's rating (B- / Stable), informed the risk rating agency.
Costa Rican authorities informed that Citi Global Markets and HSBC Global Banking will be the placement banks and financial advisors that will accompany the country in the process of issuance of securities and management of liabilities in the international market.
The issue that will be made at the international level is the one that was approved on July 16 through Bill No.
The Alvarado administration presented to the Legislative Assembly the draft public budget for 2020, which will be 4.3% lower than 2019, thus representing the largest spending reduction in recent years.
A decrease in current spending, as well as a decrease in public sector institution positions and salaries, allowed the central government budget for 2020 to be lower than this year's, the Assembly reported.
The authorities that will assume the government in 2020 in Guatemala could evaluate options to tax temporarily some sectors, however, there would be a risk that these taxes become permanent.
Although the Legislative Assembly approved the issuance of $1.5 billion of debt in the international market, Fitch Ratings believes that in the coming years there could be renewed uncertainty about the sources of financing for the Costa Rican government.