Given the recent questions from the opposition about the financial stability of the Agricultural Bankthe general administrator of the entity, Fernando Duranstated this Tuesday that the institution had never had the level of liquidity that it currently exhibits.
“In 2025he Agricultural Bank closed with the greater liquidity of the last ten years. Only in the month of December were they disbursed loans for an amount of 4,175 million of pesos, a historical record in a single month,” Durán highlighted during a press conference held at the institution’s headquarters.
In this context, the official stressed that the Agricultural Bank “does not give moneybut lends.”
“Everything that is lent is recovered. That is why we cannot speak of losses. Every penny that comes out is backed by a signed promissory note for a debtor with name and ID,” he emphasized.
Regarding the complaints that they were being granted loans to leaders of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) to preferential ratesDurán denied that political sympathy is a criterion for approving credits.
He assured that all loans are subject to the bank’s internal rules and regulations, including protocols for politically exposed persons.
“The minimum that is required of any debtor is the signature of a notarized promissory note“he pointed out.
He indicated that the entity formalizes weekly between 500 and 600 million of pesos in loansthrough their 32 branches at the national level, without asking political affiliation or any other type of preference.
Provisions and growth assets
Regarding the denunciation of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) related to alleged deficiencies in the provisions of the bank, Durán explained that the institution had been experiencing shortages since 2012, but that during his management a remediation plan has been designed, in coordination with the Superintendency of Banks.
“Only in 2025 have been allocated around 1.5 billion of pesos for the constitution of provisions“he stated.
Likewise, he highlighted that the assets of the Agricultural Bank grew from 26,912 million of pesos in 2020 to 45,000 million pesos in 2025which represents an increase of approximately 70%.
In response to statements from José Danteslegal secretary and member of the Political Committee of the PLDwho stated that the bank faces difficulties in collecting loans and maintains a hidden blackberryDurán maintained that, although many credits correspond to long-cycle items – such as avocado, mango, coconut, cocoa, coffee, irrigation systems, poultry facilities and livestock – the levels of recovery have improved significantly.
“In the last five years, the bank has recovered through collection of loans an annual average of 24,680 million of pesos, almost 50% more than the average of the previous five years, which was 16,570 million annually,” he said.
Durán also responded to questions about a tender related to cybersecurityhighlighting that the Agricultural Bank has gone from being a completely analogous institution to an entity in the process of digital transformation.
He indicated that in 2023 the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC) awarded the bank second place in disruptive innovationamong 153 State institutions, for its program Credit On Timewhich significantly reduced the approval time of the loans.
Among the advances, he mentioned the implementation of a Internet Bankingthe creation of a Cybersecurity Directorate with specialized personnel, updating the Data Center and signature of an agreement with the OGTIC to have a Data Center backup.
The administrator of the Agricultural Bank
stated that his administration has been careful not to burden the bank with unnecessary expenses, and has even rejected recommendations to raise the interest rate of the loans —currently at 8% and lower in many cases— so as not to affect the agricultural producer.
He pointed out that the entity also faces inherited commitments, such as a pensioner payroll that is around 700 million of annual pesos, as well as the clearing of accounting records erroneous for an amount of 1,097 million pesos, demanded by the Superintendency of Banks.
“Despite these impacts, the Agricultural Bank continue presenting positive results in their financial statements“he concluded.
