Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano (SECMCA)

What Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano (SECMCA) does

SECMCA (Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano) is the executive secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (CMCA), a regional intergovernmental body established in 1964 under the Protocolo de Guatemala and operating as part of the Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA). Its function is to coordinate monetary, exchange-rate, credit, and financial policy among the central banks of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic (the CARD region), with Panama participating in selected programs under the CAPARD grouping. The organization is headquartered in San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica, employs 24 staff, and is led by Secretary Executive Odalis Francisco Marte Alevante (appointed for the 2023-2027 term).

The core technology stack is a regional macroeconomic data and payments platform. SECMCADATOS is the central harmonized-statistics database with historical depth back to 1960, complemented by the Monitor Macroeconómico dashboard and the SECMCA API (SIMAFIR). Specialized harmonized datasets cover monetary and financial statistics (EMFA), external sector statistics (ESEA), public finance statistics (EFPA), and banking system statistics (ESB). On the payments side, the SIPA (Sistema de Interconexión de Pagos) regional payment system, including the Transfer365 CA-RD component launched in 2023, enables cross-border electronic fund transfers between financial institutions across the six member countries. Analytical tools include the CAPARD climate impact assessment tool (the first climate damage function for the CAPARD region) and the Q-CRAFT climate-related fiscal risk evaluation tool, both developed jointly with CEPAL, Banco de México, UNAM, and AFD. The organization produces 13 periodic regional reports (monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual) and an extensive research publication series.

Revenue mechanics are non-commercial: SECMCA is funded by contributions from its six member central banks, and all data, reports, and platforms are provided free of charge to member institutions and the public. The go-to-market is institutional rather than commercial, with distribution through direct delivery to member central banks, presentation to regional bodies (PARLACEN, COSEFIN, CCSBSO, SIECA), an open-access website, and an annual economic journalism award. The customer base is treaty-fixed at six central banks (plus Panama in some programs), making the revenue stream structurally predictable but bounded by the small membership set.

Name

Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano (SECMCA)

Legal name

Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano (SECMCA)

Website

https://secmca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SECMCA is the executive secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (CMCA), established in 1964 under SICA. It coordinates monetary policy, harmonized statistics, and the SIPA cross-border payment system for the six central banks of the CARD region (plus Panama in some programs).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SECMCA is the executive secretariat of the Consejo Monetario Centroamericano (CMCA). It coordinates monetary, exchange-rate, credit, and financial policy across the central banks of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic (the CARD region). Its core offerings consist of harmonized macroeconomic statistical products (SECMCADATOS, EMFA, ESEA, EFPA, ESB), periodic regional reports (13 monthly/quarterly/semiannual/annual publications), economic research and notes, the SIPA regional payment interconnection system with the Transfer365 CA-RD cross-border transfer service, and specialized analytical tools such as the CAPARD climate impact assessment and Q-CRAFT fiscal risk evaluation tools.

Product overview

SECMCA operates as the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (CMCA), providing a unified platform of statistical products and services focused on macroeconomic data dissemination and regional financial integration. The core offerings include SECMCADATOS (central data platform), Monitor Macroeconómico (interactive dashboard), SECMCA API (programmatic data access), and SIPA (regional payment system). Supporting services include harmonized statistical databases (EMFA, ESEA, EFPA, ESB) and thirteen periodic regional reports. The portfolio also includes specialized analytical tools for climate impact assessment (CAPARD climate tool and Q-CRAFT). The architecture follows a platform-plus-modules model where SECMCADATOS serves as the central hub, with specialized data services and reporting tools connecting through the SECMCA API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SECMCADATOS Interactive data platform providing access to harmonized macroeconomic statistics from Central America and Dominican Republic, including historical data from 1960 onwards, for central bank staff, researchers, and the general public.
• Monitor Macroeconómico Interactive dashboard providing updated macroeconomic situation information through graphs and tables for each CARD country and the region, complementing data searches in SECMCADATOS for analysts and policymakers.
• SECMCA API (SIMAFIR) Public API providing programmatic access to regional macroeconomic data including monetary, financial, external sector, and public finance statistics via REST/SOAP web services, primarily intended for member central bank technical staff and approved data consumers.
• SIPA (Sistema de Interconexión de Pagos) including Transfer365 CA-RD Regional payment interconnection system enabling clients of affiliated financial entities to make electronic fund transfers between countries quickly, securely, and at low cost, serving financial institutions and their retail customers across the six CARD economies.
• EMFA-Datos (Estadísticas Monetarias y Financieras Armonizadas) Harmonized monetary and financial statistics data service providing standardized financial data across the CARD region for central bank analysts and researchers.
• ESEA (Estadísticas del Sector Externo Armonizado) Harmonized external sector statistics providing standardized balance of payments and related external sector data for the CARD region for use by central banks, ministries of finance, and researchers.
• EFPA-Datos (Estadísticas de Finanzas Públicas Armonizadas) Harmonized public finance statistics providing standardized government finance data for the central government institutional sector across the CARD region.
• ESB (Estadísticas del Sistema Bancario) Banking system statistics providing regional banking sector data and indicators for analysis by central banks, bank supervisors, and researchers.
• Regional Periodic Reports (13 reports) Thirteen periodic regional reports including monthly (economic activity, inflation, exchange rates, banking indicators), quarterly (balance of payments, risk, outlook), semiannual (public finance statistics), and annual reports (regional economic, banking system, preliminary balance), serving policymakers, analysts, and the public with regional economic intelligence.
• CAPARD Climate Impact Economic Assessment Tool Climate impact assessment tool containing the first climate damage function for the Central America, Panama, and Dominican Republic region, enabling estimation of economic impacts under different SSP and RCP scenarios for use by central banks, ministries of finance, and climate policy researchers.
• Modernized Regional Macroeconomic Database Modernized regional macroeconomic database implemented with CABEI/BCIE technical cooperation, supporting the SECMCADATOS platform and harmonized statistical frameworks to provide updated regional macroeconomic data and indicators for member central banks and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIPA enables fast, secure, low-cost cross-border fund transfers across six countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SIECA (Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2022SECMCA and SIECA signed a second Framework Agreement for Mutual Assistance on May 16, 2022, at the SECMCA headquarters in San José, Costa Rica. The agreement strengthens coordination between monetary and economic integration bodies, enabling joint production of regional economic reports (e.g., the Regional Economic Report 2020-2021) and shared statistical analysis.
• Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCIE has partnered with SECMCA on multiple initiatives including a non-reimbursable technical cooperation agreement for modernizing the regional macroeconomic database. BCIE Vice President and Chief Economist have visited SECMCA. BCIE organizes joint forums with CMCA on regional economic situation.
• CEPAL/ECLAC (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA and CEPAL have conducted joint workshops on climate change impacts on inflation, launched a project on macroeconomic risks from climate change and natural disasters (with CEPAL, Banco de México, UNAM, and AFD), and coordinated statistical modernization with National Statistics Offices (CENTROESTAD).
• Banco de EspañacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Banco de España has partnered with SECMCA on harmonization of monetary and financial statistics, conducting joint meetings of the Ad Hoc Group on Monetary and Financial Statistics. Senior directors from Banco de España have made official visits to SECMCA. The Banco de España has also delivered seminars on debt standardization and stability report analysis.
• FMI/IMF (Fondo Monetario Internacional)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA participates in IMF-World Bank meetings (spring and autumn sessions), contributes to the XVI Regional Conference for Central America, Panama, and Dominican Republic organized by the IMF. IMF staff have trained SECMCA on debt dynamics tools and participated in joint conferences on regional economic analysis.
• CAPTAC-DR (Centro Regional de Asistencia Técnica)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPTAC-DR (IMF's technical assistance center for the region) collaborates with SECMCA on joint training workshops, public finance statistics, and macroeconomic analysis. They jointly organize meetings of the Working Group on Public Finance Statistics (GTEFP) and joint macroeconomic statistics groups.
• CCSBSO (Consejo Centroamericano de Superintendentes de Bancos, de Seguros y de Otras Instituciones Financieras)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA and CCSBSO hold annual joint meetings (now in their 10th+ edition) bringing together central bank and supervisory authorities from CARD countries to discuss financial stability, regulatory convergence, and risk analysis.
• COSEFIN (Consejo de Ministros de Hacienda y Finanzas de Centroamérica, Panamá y República Dominicana)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA and COSEFIN coordinate on public finance statistics through the GTEFP working group, sovereign debt sustainability analysis, and joint regional fiscal monitoring. A memorandum of understanding formalizes the relationship.
• PARLACEN (Parlamento Centroamericano)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA regularly presents the regional macroeconomic outlook and CMCA annual reports to the Central American Parliament, providing legislators with regional economic intelligence.
• BID/IDB (Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA participates in IDB Annual Meetings and has collaborated on regional economic outlook presentations. The IDB has also provided support for SECMCA's data modernization efforts.
• Chiba Bank (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA shared its regional vision characterized by macroeconomic stability with Chiba Bank from Japan, discussing regional economic prospects and potential areas of cooperation.
• CENTROESTAD (Centro Centroamericano de Estadística)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA collaborates with CENTROESTAD to promote regional statistical cooperation, including joint coordination meetings between National Statistics Offices and central banks of CMCA members.
• NGFS (Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA joined the NGFS, committing to integrate climate and environmental risks into financial sector analysis and promote green finance across the CARD region.
• GGGI (Global Green Growth Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGGI representatives visited SECMCA to discuss collaboration on green growth and climate risk analysis for the region.
• CETEX / LSE (Centre for Economic Transition Expertise, London School of Economics)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA participated in a conference on nature and economy organized by CETEX (LSE) and received a visit from CETEX/LSE representatives to discuss economic transition expertise relevant to the region.
• ICAP (Instituto Centroamericano de Administración Pública)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICAP Executive Director visited SECMCA, indicating ongoing cooperation in public administration training relevant to regional economic governance.
• SECOSEFINmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA and SECOSEFIN (Secretaría Ejecutiva del COSEFIN) co-organize the Working Group on Public Finance Statistics (GTEFP), conduct joint analysis on sovereign debt sustainability, and organize regional capacity-building activities.
• Banco de Pagos Internacionales / BIS (Bank for International Settlements)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA participates in BIS Annual General Meetings and engages in discussions on global financial stability and central bank cooperation.
• CEMLA (Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECMCA participates in CEMLA-organized stability meetings, contributing to regional financial stability analysis and central bank cooperation across Latin America.
• AFD (Agence Française de Développement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFD participates in the joint climate risk project with SECMCA, CEPAL, Banco de México, and UNAM, providing climate finance expertise for the CAPARD region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB): Regional monetary authority for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, operating as a supranational central bank across multiple small island economies. Shares SECMCA's model of harmonized monetary policy, statistical reporting, and cross-border financial infrastructure across a fragmented regional grouping.
• Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA): Regional organization of Latin American central banks for monetary and financial studies. SECMCA participates directly in CEMLA stability meetings, and both institutions serve as convening bodies for regional financial stability analysis and central bank training across the region.
• Bank of Central African States (BEAC): Regional central bank for the CEMAC economic community in Central Africa, coordinating monetary policy across six member countries. Operates under a similar mandate structure to SECMCA's CMCA, with harmonized statistics, regional payment systems, and shared financial stability surveillance.
• Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO): Regional central bank serving the eight WAEMU member states, with comparable functions in monetary policy harmonization, harmonized statistical reporting, and regional payment systems. BCEAO is a directly comparable model of a multi-country monetary authority serving a regional economic community.
• Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA): Treaty-based economic integration secretariat for Central America, operating within the same SICA framework as SECMCA. SIECA signed a Framework Agreement for Mutual Assistance with SECMCA in 2022 for joint production of regional economic reports, making it a direct institutional peer coordinating parallel mandates.
• Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE/CABEI): Regional multilateral development bank covering the same Central American geography as SECMCA. BCIE is a core partner of SECMCA, providing non-reimbursable technical cooperation for database modernization and jointly organizing regional economic forums. Both institutions serve overlapping institutional stakeholders within SICA.

Broad incumbents

• Bank for International Settlements (BIS): Global forum for central bank cooperation and monetary policy coordination. SECMCA participates in BIS Annual General Meetings, and BIS performs a comparable coordination role across global financial authorities, with overlapping functions in cross-border payments and financial stability data.
• European Central Bank (ECB): Supranational monetary authority coordinating monetary policy across euro-area member states. While vastly larger in scope, the ECB serves as a structural inspiration for SECMCA's regional coordination model and shares comparable functions in harmonized statistics, payment infrastructure (TARGET), and financial stability surveillance.
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): Regional multilateral development bank covering Latin America and the Caribbean. SECMCA participates in IDB Annual Meetings and has received support for data modernization efforts, with overlapping institutional stakeholders across Central American finance ministries and central banks.

Emerging players

• Banco de España: National central bank that has partnered with SECMCA on harmonization of monetary and financial statistics, debt standardization, and stability report analysis. Banco de España serves as a technical cooperation partner rather than a direct competitor, but its analytical frameworks shape SECMCA's statistical methodologies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/secmca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@consejomonetariocentroamer6558
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secmca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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