Until December 16, 2022, businesses in Guatemala will have to comply with the rules contained in the Regulations for Environmental Evaluation, Control and Monitoring.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) reported that after the publication of Government Agreement 317-2019 on December 24, 2019 in the Central American Journal, which reforms Government Agreement 137-2016, the period was extended by three years so that all projects, works, industries or productive activities present their respective environmental instruments in order to function.
The Superintendence of Telecommunications prepares the procedure to start issuing sanctions of up to $25,800 from February 2020, to businesses that do not have a registry of mobile terminal equipment and SIM cards.
The regulations have been in force for years, as on October 9, 2013, Decree 8-2013, the Mobile Terminal Equipment Law, came into force, which mandates the creation of the Registry of Mobile Terminal Equipment and SIM Cards Dealers, both under the responsibility of the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SIT).
On November 20, the moving weighing system began operating in Guatemala, which will verify that the weight and dimensions of the cargo vehicles are within the permitted range, otherwise the respective sanctions will be applied.
Ministry of Communications staff reported that the system is equipped with cameras and sensors embedded in the asphalt, which captures and sends the information immediately to a computer.
The changes that had been made to the Regulation of the Value Added Tax Law in Guatemala came into effect.
This is Governmental Agreement 222-2019 modifying the Regulation of the Value Added Tax Law, which contains provisions regarding the mechanisms for the recovery of the tax credit to exporters created by Decree 4-2019, informed the exporters' union.
In Guatemala, the entry into force of the speed measurement and control device, which must be installed in vehicles of 3.5 tons and 12 passengers or more, was extended for another year.
The regulations in Governmental Agreement 38-2019, published in April of this year, established that as of November 14 heavy transport units must carry a device that will have the function of measuring the speed at which vehicles travel, which must not exceed 80 kilometers per hour.
In Guatemala, transporters are asking to postpone the entry into force of the rule that establishes that vehicles of 3.5 tons and 12 passengers and above must install a device that will report the speed at which they circulate.
The regulation in Governmental Agreement 38-2019, published in April of this year, establishes that as of November 14 heavy transport units must carry a device that will have the function of measuring the speed at which vehicles travel, which must not exceed 80 kilometers per hour.
The Ministry of Health of Guatemala published in the Official Newspaper the agreement that regulates the commercialization of antibiotics and ophthalmological steroids, and granted 30 days for pharmacies to begin to implement the restrictions.
The regulation that will begin to govern was approved by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) on August 7, and stipulates that antimicrobial drugs (oral and parenteral antibiotics) and ophthalmic steroids, must be sold after being prescribed. See full agreement.
Deputies of the Guatemalan Congress ask that the agreement that regulates the commercialization of antibiotics and ophthalmological steroids, recently approved by the Executive Branch, be repealed.
Controversy between representatives of the legislature and the executive began after the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) approved Agreement 181-2019 on August 7, 2019, which stipulates that antimicrobial drugs (oral and parenteral antibiotics) and ophthalmic steroids must be sold with a prescription. See full agreement.
An agreement regulating the sale of antibiotics and ophthalmic steroids in the country was approved, which can now only be sold with a prescription.
On August 7, 2019, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) approved Agreement 181-2019, which stipulates that antimicrobial drugs (oral and parenteral antibiotics) and ophthalmic steroids must be sold after being prescribed.
From September 26, new rules will apply for the categorization of development projects that require submission of environmental impact studies.
Ministerial Agreement No. 204-2019, which was issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and published in the Diario de Centroamérica on August 16, will come into effect on September 26. See Published Agreement.
With the entry into force of 122-2019 Agreement, the application of the specific tax, the customs information corresponding to cement or clinker imports and the appointment of personnel to supervise storage places is regulated.
Since the 122-2019 Governmental Agreement was published in the Diario de Centro América on July 25, 2019, the regulations have become effective in the country.
In Guatemala, the regulations governing the tariffs to be applied to users, administrators and economic zones have come into force as part of the new legislation on Special Public Economic Development Zones.
The tariffs that will be applied according to the categories established in the regulation, published in the Diario de Centroamérica on June 28th, were effective.
Regarding the new bill presented to Congress at the beginning of 2019, the Superintendence of Banks is of the opinion that the interest rate should not be limited.
The Credit Card Law came into force on March 8, 2016, but was suspended at the end of the same month, after business chambers, card issuers and the Bank of Guatemala filed legal appeals before the Constitutional Court (CC).
From May 2019, foreign customers will have to declare to local system banks that their funds meet their country's tax requirements.
The Superintendence of Banks of Panama (SBP) approved Agreement 02-2019, which implements the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, which consists of expanding the required due diligence measures of banks with their customers.
Almost three years after its approval, the Microfinance Law in Guatemala still does not have a regulation defining the way in which institutions dedicated to this activity should operate.
The Microfinance Law approved in May 2016, is still waiting for the regulations that will allow its full application. This situation prevents entities seeking to operate in this activity from registering with the Ministry of Economy, since there is no regulation determining how to do so.