Uruguay’s Central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged as policymakers focus on bringing inflation back to target in anticipation of possible impacts from a global slowdown.
The Inter American Development Bank, IDB, approved this week a new country ambitious strategy with Uruguay with a financial plan for the period 2010–2015 of up to 1.8 billion dollars of for sovereign-guaranteed loans.
Uruguay consumer prices increased 0.35% in June, completing 8.61% in the last twelve months, which remains above the Central bank target of 4% to 6%, and the latest estimate of 7.8% presented last week by the Executive in its additional budget report to Congress.
The Uruguayan government is trying to decide how to implement a controversial new tax on land holdings involving approximately 60 million dollars per annum and which has exposed deep differences in the ruling coalition, is rejected by farmers and feared by investors.
Economy minister Fernando Lorenzo accused rating agencies of failing to recognize the increasing strength of Uruguay’s sustained economic growth and therefore denying its investment grade status.
Uruguay’s fiscal deficit increased 0.7 percentage points of GDP in April reaching 1.6% of GDP in the accumulated twelve months, reports the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The 1.6% of GDP is the fiscal budget deficit target established by the government for the whole of 2011, which was recently increased.
Interest for Uruguayan ten-year bonds in Yens more than doubled the issue equivalent to 490 million US dollars. The bonds are guaranteed by Japan Bank for International Cooperation with a 1.6% yield.
Uruguay this year plans to swap part of its foreign-currency bonds for debt denominated in Pesos, said Economy Minister Fernando Lorenzo. Uruguay will also sell Peso securities and use the proceeds to pay off bonds denominated in other currencies, Lorenzo said without providing further details.
Uruguay's economy minister said the country had no concrete plan to issue new debt because it had already covered 2011 obligations and debt servicing costs will fall in 2012. Nevertheless he complained about the “poor treatment” of Uruguay by the risk rating agencies.
Two are the main challenges faced by Uruguay to ensure sustained economic growth and to improve inequalities: infrastructure and education, and one main danger, self complacency.