On 23rd January 2015, the Ministry for the Economy and Public Finances published its Ministerial Resolution 031, which, by virtue of article 66 of the Financial Services law, sets out the targets which must be met by commercial banks, small and medium- sized enterprises (SME) banks and savings and loan institutions, for loan origination in the production sector and for social housing.

The regulation develops the formula which each financial intermediary will have to use when adjusting its loan book to the goals laid down in the Financial Services Law. Commercial banks will have to allocate at least 60% of their credit portfolio to the production and social housing sectors, with this minimum threshold being set at 50% in the case of SME banks and home financing institutions.

Non-compliance with these targets will be penalised in line with the Financial Oversight Authority (Asfi) rules, with this body being mandated to suspend certain operations, in order to ensure compliance with these credit ratios.

These credit portfolio targets have been designed in line with Bolivia's Financial Services Law, which requires the portfolio to give priority to the allocation of funds for social housing and the production sector, principally for micro, small and medium-sized companies, artisans and community economic organisations whether in the urban or rural environment.

Reaching these credit ratios will have a major impact on Bolivia’s financial system, since the financial institutions that have allocated their loan book to micro-credit will be forced to change their lending strategy and concentrate on originating credit not only to the production sector, but also to social housing.