The Center for Economic and Social Studies for Development (CESDE) of the Universidad Espiritu Santo (UEES) held a conference on the Banking System in Ecuador, The event was attended by renowned figures from the financial sector: Walter Spurrier, director of Análisis Semanal and economic analyst; Alberto Dahik, director of CESDE and general director of UEES Graduate Programs; and Iván Andrade, executive president of Banco del Pacífico.
Walter Spurrier presented a detailed analysis of the trade balance, the liquidity of the financial system and the evolution of deposits and banking operations. He highlighted the improvement in the political environment, the easing of interest rates and the urgency of developing the public debt market. He also raised the need to transform certain cooperatives in order to strengthen the stability of the system and face challenges such as delinquency, profitability and capitalization.
Alberto Dahik presented figures on growth, delinquency and asset management in private banks and cooperatives. He pointed out structural problems in the management of cooperatives which, he said, interfere with the functioning of the banking system. In addition, he emphasized the importance of the country's adopt policies that promote the growth of the sector, without falling into excessive regulations that limit competition.
In his speech, Iván Andrade discussed Banco del Pacífico's performance in recent years, explaining the strategies adopted to maintain its position in the market. He announced that the entity seeks to to expand its international presence, reinforce its commitment to environmental sustainability and promote social inclusion.
“We as a private bank owe 2.7 million depositors, our strategy involves among other things that we go out to the international capital market,” he stressed.
Finally, questions were raised as to whether competition, international presence, and fee liberalization are the next step in growing the banking system, and if so, how these changes would be carried out hand in hand with social responsibility and public opinion.
