Browse Honduras Daily Stories

The government announced L64.3 million (about $2.6 million) in financing through the Comrural rural competitiveness program to support salt producers' development and working capital needs.

The government approved imports of corn, beans, and rice to manage domestic supply and control prices amid drought, while the agriculture ministry pursues higher-yield rice seeds to boost national production.

The Central Bank president says Honduras's electricity crisis is the main brake on economic growth, limiting expansion to roughly 3.5% annually without reform, and that fixing the power sector would free public funds for health and education while attracting investment.

The government announced 64.3 million lempiras (about $2.6 million) in financing for salt producers through the ComRural program, aiming to strengthen the sector and create jobs in salt-producing communities across Honduras.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $83.6 million in its July 6 currency sale, setting the weighted-average exchange rate at L 26.7383 per dollar for July 7.

The Honduran central bank will overhaul its monetary program following the IMF's successful review of Honduras's economic plan, which unlocks a disbursement of roughly $240 million and aims to move toward a more flexible exchange market while maintaining inflation control.

A think tank says Honduras's state power utility loses about 15 billion lempiras (roughly $600 million) a year, blamed on political interference rather than operational needs, as Congress debates an overhaul bill opposed by some lawmakers who fear weakening the company's market role.

Economist Amparo Canales warns that rising electricity rates risk setting off cascading inflation and further increasing the cost of living for Hondurans.

The government said strategic bean reserves held by the agricultural marketing institute exceed storage targets by 10–15%, ensuring adequate supply despite drought, and has identified potential import suppliers as a backup plan.

The Asfura administration has sent a letter of intent to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva as the current three-year, $822 million program nears completion, though officials say no decision has been made yet on whether to pursue a new agreement.

Former BCIE president Dante Mossi said Honduras's first-quarter GDP growth of 3.6% was the slowest in Central America, warning that only countries growing above 6% can effectively reduce poverty, and urging the government to support small business, construction, and agriculture.

Economists warn that 60% of Hondurans lack sufficient income to purchase the basic food basket.

Engineer Dulio Medina warned Honduras faces a food crisis without a clear agricultural strategy, citing low valley output and rural farming deficits.

Honduras's banks continue attracting private-sector deposits, driven by economic activity, family remittances, and export performance, the central bank reports.

Honduras executed only 33.4% of its national budget in the first half of 2026, a shortfall economists attribute to Congress's late April approval, which delayed state investment in health, education, and infrastructure.

Eduardo Bennaton, president of Honduras's renewable-energy association, says rising electricity tariffs reflect dependence on imported inputs and is pressing lawmakers to approve reforms that would help bring renewable investments and energy independence to Honduras.

Amparo Canales, former president of Honduras's College of Economists, says energy reforms will require foreign investment and must avoid politicization, while improving the state power company ENEE's efficiency and protecting its assets from privatization.

Honduras's net international reserves have accumulated $1.346 billion since January 27, with import coverage rising to 6.7 months, according to the central bank.

A JP Morgan Chase report ranks Honduras among Latin America's lowest-risk countries for investment, but economists say Honduras must improve public services and compete for capital to capitalize on the rating.

Juliette Handal, former president of Honduras's main business council (Cohep), attributed a first-quarter decline in investment to security concerns, including gang violence and massacres, rising energy costs (set to jump 12%), and international supply-chain disruptions, all of which she said undermine investor confidence.

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules said reducing an electricity rate hike requires a large fiscal cost to the state, since the tariff increase was originally set at 21.5%.

Engineer Dulio Medina cautioned that Honduras faces a possible shortage of beans and other staple grains after drought and planting failures in Olancho and El Paraíso reduced crop supply for coming weeks.

Honduras's Energy Ministry announced another price cut for the week of July 6–12, extending six weeks of consecutive fuel reductions that have lowered some petroleum products by more than 15 lempiras total.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $81.5 million in a foreign-exchange sale on July 3, setting the average exchange rate at L26.7414 per dollar for July 4–6.

The Central Bank of Honduras kept its policy rate (TPM) at 5.75%, with interbank and central bank window rates aligned to that benchmark.

The president of Honduras's renewable energy association says the recent electricity rate increase stems from global fuel prices rather than non-renewable generators, and calls for greater investment in clean energy to reduce dependence on imported fuel.

A consumer-defender monitoring shows nine of eleven staple products increased in price over the past week, led by beans and eggs, while only two items fell, prompting authorities to watch for speculation.

Rafael Medina, former head of Tegucigalpa's Chamber of Commerce, urged oil companies and transporters to pass falling global fuel prices to consumers quickly, noting that inflation jumped nearly 1.5 percentage points above year-ago levels partly because of earlier fuel-cost increases.

Honduras is offering a tax amnesty for registered cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles that allows owners to settle overdue payments quickly and with fewer bureaucratic hurdles.

Consumer advocates project that adjustments to electricity tariffs will increase the price of Honduras's basic food basket by about 800 lempiras (roughly $32).