Browse Honduras Daily Stories

The proposed 455.4-billion-lempira budget for 2027 would reduce public investment by 17.3% year-over-year to 39.9 billion lempiras (about $1.6 billion), with productive investment falling 34%, according to business-group analysis.

The Honduran private-sector council backs the IMF's 3.3% growth forecast for Honduras this year, citing headwinds including weak US and European growth, climate impacts, energy scarcity, fuel costs, and transport and health-sector labor conflict.

The first Digital Business Competitiveness Index shows Honduras's 156 surveyed companies scored 58.7 of 100 on digital maturity, with 59% already using generative AI tools but only 11.9% having a documented strategy to integrate the technology.

Santiago Herrera of COHEP, Honduras's business federation, says recurring storms and floods divert billions in public funds meant for development; he is calling for infrastructure designed to withstand climate risks, especially in the productive Sula Valley.

Honduras's main business council, Cohep, is seeking modifications to the Part-Time Employment Law, calling it a failure, while labor groups warn the proposed changes would revive wage-hour abuses.

Honduras's private-sector workers will have a four-day break from noon October 7 through noon October 10 for Morazán Week, an annual civic holiday combining three October commemorations under a 2015 law.

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.

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.

COHEP, Honduras's business council, met with Congress's labor committee to evaluate the Part-Time Employment Law, urging technical dialogue to strengthen legal frameworks that encourage investment and formal job creation.

COHEP is hosting a virtual briefing on September 30 about the European Union's new regulation banning imports of goods made with forced labor, aimed at helping Honduran exporters comply with the requirement.

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.

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.

Foreign direct investment in Honduras represents less than 1% of GDP—about $223 million last quarter—while remittances account for roughly 27% of GDP, prompting business leaders to urge steps to attract capital and create formal jobs.

Cohep, Honduras's main private-sector organization, rejected any involvement in a National Congress member Adolfo Ráquel's electricity-sector reform proposal, saying it has not reviewed or endorsed the initiative and will not be held responsible for its technical, legal, or financial implications.

Honduras ranks third in the world for climate vulnerability according to 2026 international indicators, prompting COHEP to call for concrete adaptation measures and sustainable development policies to strengthen community resilience.

Cohep President Anabel Gallardo said Honduras escaped an additional 2.5% tariff hike from the United States but warned that some sectors still face 10% duties and need continued trade negotiations to improve conditions.

The private-sector business council says Honduras should borrow the $400 million CAF financing to strengthen the housing bank and spur construction, but opposes debt used only to cover government operating costs.

COHEP is hosting a webinar on July 29 at 9:00 a.m. on commercial opportunities in Mesoamerica, aimed at helping Honduran private-sector companies explore regional competitive advantages and economic integration.

COHEP will host a webinar on July 29 at 9 a.m. on commercial opportunities in Mesoamerica, aimed at helping Honduran firms explore regional competitive advantages and integrate into an expanding trade environment.

The private-sector business council estimates that power outages—averaging 21,200 hours of unmet demand annually—cost Honduras about L1.2 billion (roughly $48 million) per year in lost productivity, equipment damage, and generator expenses, while the government pushes stalled reforms to strengthen the state electricity utility.

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.

Honduras' external debt climbed to $9.3 billion as of March 2026, up 13.3% over two years, prompting the business council to urge the government to prioritize efficient public spending and curb excessive borrowing.

Year-over-year inflation in Honduras reached 6.09% in May, up 1.55 percentage points from a year earlier, driven mainly by rising fuel prices that accounted for nearly half the overall price increase.

A study by the Honduran private-sector council found that blackouts and electrical interruptions cost businesses approximately L1.2 billion (about $48 million) a year, with small firms hit hardest, as the government pushes energy-sector reforms.

Honduras's private sector says chronic blackouts cause direct losses exceeding 1.2 billion lempiras (about $48 million) per year in lost production, calling for structural energy reforms rather than temporary fixes.

Congress approved Decree 78-2026, extending amnesty deadlines for unpaid taxes, social-security contributions, municipal fees, and water and sanitation bills, allowing businesses and citizens to regularize outstanding obligations.

Honduras's business council endorsed the government's proposed energy reforms but called for stronger legal protections, independent regulators, and a phased breakup of the state utility ENEE to reduce technical losses and attract investment.

Honduras's private-sector council COHEP met with the Environment Ministry (SERNA) secretary and agreed on concrete steps to streamline environmental licensing, which business leaders say is currently blocking investment in the country.

Honduras's private-sector council president said a 10% U.S. tariff on Honduran goods raises export costs, undercuts competitiveness, and discourages foreign investment—including from European firms—and is pushing the government to negotiate tariff reduction or elimination.

Honduras's business council submitted proposals to modernize electricity regulations under review by Congress, urging independent regulators and stable rules to strengthen the grid and attract investment.