Thursday, June 26, 2008 |
12:30–2:00 p.m. |
Informal Lunch |
2:15–2:30 p.m. |
Opening Remarks |
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Luz María Serpas de Portillo, President, Central Bank, El Salvador
Murilo Portugal, Deputy Managing Director, IMF |
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Introductory Remarks |
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Elías Antonio Saca González, President of the Republic, El Salvador |
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Begin of closed session—media withdraws |
2:45–4:15 p.m. |
Session 1: Food Crisis, Oil Price Hikes, U.S. Slowdown: How to Respond? |
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Being a net importer of cereals and oil, Central America is strongly affected by current commodity price movements. In addition, the region is vulnerable to the U.S. slowdown, its main export market, source of remittances, and foreign direct investment. Faced with these challenges, this session will analyze the implications of these shocks and discuss policy options.
Chair: Murilo Portugal, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
Speakers:
Francisco de Paula Gutiérrez, President, Central Bank, Costa Rica
David Robinson, Deputy Director, and Dominique Desruelle, Division Chief, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF
• Discussion |
4:15–4:45 p.m. |
Coffee break |
4:45–6:15 p.m. |
Session 2: International Banking in Central America |
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The structure of financial systems in Central America has significantly changed in the last two years, following the purchases of important domestic banks by large foreign financial institutions. This session will examine the benefits of this profound transformation for the stability and efficiency of domestic financial systems as well as the challenges it poses for policymakers and supervisors alike.
Chair: Antenor Rosales, President, Central Bank, Nicaragua
Speakers:
Jaime Caruana, Director, and Carlos Medeiros, Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF
Commentator:
Edgar Barquín, President, Central American Council of Financial Sector Superintendents and Superintendent, Guatemala
Hector Alexander, Minister of Finance and Economy, Panama
Edwin Araque, President, Central Bank, Honduras
Luis Armando Montenegro, Superintendent, El Salvador
• Discussion |
7:30–8:00 p.m. |
Reception |
8:00–10:00 p.m. |
Dinner |
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Keynote speaker: Agustín Carstens, Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Mexico |
Friday, June 27, 2007 |
8:00–9:30 a.m. |
Breakfast: Central American Regional Technical Assistance Center |
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Chair: Héctor Manuel Valdez Albizu, President, Central Bank,
Dominican Republic
Speaker: Murilo Portugal, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
Commentators: María Antonieta de Bonilla, President, Central American Monetary Council and President, Central Bank, Guatemala
Guillermo Zúñiga, President, Central American Council of Finance Ministers and Minister of Finance, Costa Rica
Discussion
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9:30–11:00 a.m. |
Session 3: Tax Structures in the Context of Increased Integration |
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One of Central America’s key challenges is to raise tax revenue to address pressing needs in a fiscally responsible manner. Regional and global integration, including the establishment of a Central American customs union, have made this task even more complex. This session will investigate tax structures in the region and other parts of the world in the face of such globalization pressures and seek to draw lessons for the design of tax systems.
Chair: Teresa Ter-Minassian, Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF
Speakers:
Rodrigo Cubero, Economist, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF
Juan Alberto Fuentes, Minister of Finance, Guatemala
Commentators: Rebeca Santos, Minister of Finance, Honduras
William Hándal, Minister of Finance, El Salvador
Alberto Guevara, Minister of Finance, Nicaragua
Vicente Bengoa, Secretary of Finance, Dominican Republic
Discussion
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10:30–11:00 a.m. |
Coffee break |
11:30–12:00 a.m. |
Closing Remarks |
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María Antonieta de Bonilla, President, Central American Monetary Council and President, Central Bank, Guatemala
Anoop Singh, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF |
12:30–1:00 p.m. |
Press Conference |
1:00–2:30 p.m. |
Informal Lunch |
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