The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit announced on March 21 the publication of Decree No. 244 of 2026, which establishes measures to address the crisis caused by the economic emergency through credit guarantee instruments aimed at supporting affected productive units.
The decree is intended to help mitigate the impact of the ongoing economic, social, and ecological emergency. It allows the National Guarantee Fund (FNG) and the Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FAG) to issue guarantees covering up to 90 percent for new targeted loans not exceeding 120 times the monthly minimum wage. These guarantees apply as long as interest rates on such loans do not surpass the Reference Banking Indicator (IBR) plus six percentage points.
For implementing relief programs and issuing new loans outlined in this decree, savings and credit cooperatives overseen by the Superintendence of Solidarity Economy, as well as entities supervised by Colombia’s Financial Superintendence, may offer specialized associative credit lines. In these cases, associations or organizations established by members will be responsible for these credits; however, individual members may also assume responsibility proportional to their contributions or participation in each case.
Additionally, an emergency credit program has been created for businesses with a focus on financing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in eligible sectors across Colombia. This initiative seeks to counteract or prevent further effects from the crisis under Decree No. 0150 issued on February 11, 2026. The program will provide direct loans at a zero percent compensatory interest rate.
The decree also stipulates that any budget surpluses generated from public debt service interest payments can be used to cover expenses related to this Emergency Credit Program for businesses. Bancoldex will submit billing accounts detailing effective loan disbursements for this purpose.
