In El Salvador, the banking safety net emergency liquidity assistance, resolution and deposit insurance- faces particular challenges given it operate in the context of official dollarization. The economy was officially dollarized in 2000 with the adoption of the law on financial integration and...

Financial service provision has expanded since the 2004 financial sector assessment program (FSAP) update, but access to financial services can expand greatly through mobile banking. An estimated 47 percent of adults in El Salvador have deposit accounts at a regulated financial institution,...

The capital markets in Salvador are small and relatively underdeveloped, and have played a very limited role in the economy. On average, institutional investors invest less than 10 percent of their total assets in capital market instruments. In 2009, there were only five new issuances of...

The global financial crisis and ensuing credit crunch has revived the discussion on the role of public sector in the financial system around the world and in El Salvador, authorities have announced plans to step up their activities. A clearly defined strategy for the public banks, focused on...

Payment systems are a core part of all financial systems. The quality of payment systems determines the stability of the overall economy, the efficiency and reliability of financial intermediation, and the possibility for the private sector to innovate and provide new services to consumers. This...

This Technical Note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. This FSAP Development Module focused on (i) financial systems issues, including competition and efficiency; (ii) financial inclusion...

This Technical Note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. This FSAP Development Module focuses on (i) financial systems issues, including competition and efficiency; (ii) financial inclusion and...

This Technical Note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. Despite the challenging economic environment, El Salvador has made significant strides towards a more inclusive financial sector. However, El...

This technical note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. The Salvadoran financial system lags behind its peers in terms of depth put it outperforms them in terms of competition and efficiency. Given...

This technical note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. The capital markets in El Salvador continue to remain relatively small but have played a larger role in financing real sector needs in the...