Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Under new rules, Honduras's ENEE must use public tenders rather than direct contracts for future power purchases, with the first bidding process required to launch within 180 days and conclude within a year.

Honduras's state power utility ENEE, losing an estimated 40 million lempiras daily to illegal connections, meter tampering, and theft, is launching specialized crews nationwide to inspect, install meters, and cut service where electricity theft is found, aiming to recover lost revenue and strengthen its financial position.

Honduras is undergoing its fifth mutual evaluation by Gafilat, the Latin American financial-action group, to assess compliance with international standards for combating money laundering, terrorism financing, and weapons proliferation; the 18-month review is expected to conclude in December 2027.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tegucigalpa and the government's Results Management Office signed an agreement to implement advanced electronic signatures nationwide, aiming to streamline corporate paperwork, cut processing times and costs, and modernize state-business interactions.

Engineer Miguel Arriaga warns Honduras's state power company faces severe financial pressure from high generation costs, reduced hydroelectric output due to drought, and years-long delays in signing new capacity contracts, leaving ENEE unable to recover over 6 billion lempiras (~$240 million) in costs over six months.

A national security and emergency operation will run October 2–12 as Honduras's Morazán Week holiday draws an estimated 500,000 travelers; multiple agencies will staff checkpoints on highways, beaches, and tourist sites.

The Honduran business council reported food and beverage inflation of 5.57% in August, citing drought conditions from El Niño and higher transport costs, while overall inflation reached 6.20% and private-sector credit grew 20% through June.

Finance Minister Emilio Hernández Hércules warned that a six-month suspension of the fuel tax, proposed in Congress, would cost the government 6.6 billion lempiras (about $264 million) in lost revenue that would have to be offset by cutting other budget areas.

Honduras's guarantee fund Confianza SA-FGR has mobilized L29 billion (about $1.16 billion) in loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises since its founding, issuing over 304,000 guarantees and supporting an estimated 435,000 jobs, with 92% of guarantees backing businesses creating 1–10 jobs and 59% benefiting women.

A Cohep executive urged protesters blocking highways to propose solutions instead, arguing that Honduras's fuel-price rise reflects an international situation affecting many countries, since Honduras produces no oil of its own.

CGT labor leader Daniel Durón called on the government, Congress, and businesses to adopt measures to contain the impact of rising fuel costs on Honduran households, citing particular concern over diesel's effect on transport, energy, and consumer prices.

Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler said visitor arrivals grew over 18% in the first half of 2026, projecting year-end tourism revenue of $820–840 million, up from $780 million in 2025, with the sector supporting over 300,000 direct jobs.

Honduras's international reserves reached $11.85 billion as of mid-September 2026, covering 6.7 months of imports — 1.1 months more than a year earlier, the Central Bank reported.

Economist Amparo Canales says just 10 of Honduras's 105 budget institutions control over 70% of resources and urges officials to review 2026 spending patterns—which have reached only 60% execution by late September—before allocating funds for 2027.

Fosdeh researcher Jorge Henríquez warns that sustained inflation is forcing Honduran families to reduce food intake and nutrition, shift to cheaper staples, and take out loans to cover basic monthly expenses.

Honduras's maquila exports fell 8.0% year-over-year through July 2026 to $2.91 billion, driven by a $221.3 million decline in textile and apparel sales to the US and reduced electrical-harness shipments, with industry leaders warning of global trade reconfiguration.

Agricultural producers say the fall planting season faces obstacles without adequate financing, crop insurance, and climate protections, with fears of reduced acreage and threats to grain supplies as drought continues to damage current crops.

Tourism officials project that Honduras's Morazán Week holiday (October 7–10) will attract around 500,000 domestic travelers and generate roughly L600 million (about $24 million) in economic activity across hotels, restaurants, transport, and tour operators.

Central Bank President Roberto Lagos said the 25-basis-point increase in Honduras's monetary policy rate will not immediately or sharply raise credit costs, as the bank is managing the adjustment gradually and the full transmission to borrowing rates typically takes about six months.

Falling global coffee prices driven by Brazil's record harvest are squeezing Honduran producers, though an expected 1 million additional quintals (about 45,000 metric tons) of production this year may partially offset lower per-unit earnings.

Honduras's newly approved Energy Justice Law, passed by Congress on August 31 with 78 votes, has not yet been published in the official gazette and cannot take effect until the President signs or vetoes it; business groups say swift implementation is critical to address the country's electricity crisis.

Food prices across Honduras's basic basket are climbing due to fuel costs and weather damage, threatening families' ability to afford traditional holiday meals in December, warns a food-security researcher at UNAH.

Honduras exported 630 metric tons of fine and aromatic cacao through September 2026, generating $2.8 million in revenue, with most shipments bound for Central America and about 70 processing companies adding value to the crop.

More than 100 Honduran shoe-manufacturing workshops risk closure due to a 5–10% rise in raw-material costs linked partly to power blackouts and rationing, threatening over 400 jobs, the industry association warned.

Honduras's private-sector council will analyze the draft national budget to assess how funds will be spent, whether increases go toward productive investment or routine expenses, and how the government will finance a $700 million bond payment due in January.

Dante Mossi, former BCIE president, called on Congress to review how the government has spent 2026 funds and clarify priorities before approving the 455-billion-lempira (about $18.2 billion) 2027 budget, citing concerns over electricity costs, health-sector management, and diesel inflation.

Honduras is projected to receive $13 billion in remittances by year-end 2026—a 20% increase from 2025—but economists warn the country's heavy dependence on this income leaves over 300,000 families vulnerable if the flow declines.

Cohep, Honduras's main business confederation, is preparing a revised bill on hourly employment to present to Congress, seeking to address shortcomings in earlier labor legislation and boost job creation.

Only four of Banasupro's 100 distribution points have eggs available at the agreed price of L95 per carton, two weeks after the government promised nationwide rollout, while market prices remain at L120–150.

Honduras's economy expanded 4.8% in the first seven months of 2026, officials said, driven by employment generation, consumer spending, and business activity that sustained growth momentum through mid-year.