Things (Banks) are falling apart, centre cannot hold. The December,15 quarter banks’ results are out and picture has turned gloomy. Public Sector Banks are generally in red, a bold red. Bank of Baroda (3342 cr), Bank of India (1506 cr), UCO Bank (1497 cr), Indian Overseas bank (1425 cr), Punjab National Bank (857 cr pre tax loss), Central Bank of India (837 cr), Dena Bank (663 cr), Oriental Bank of Commerce(425 cr), Allahabad Bank (486 cr), , Corporation Bank (383 cr), Syndicate Bank (120 cr)- all December, 15 quarter loses. State Bank of India's profits fell 62% to Rs 1115 cr. Banks which were in profit a quarter before, have started bleeding.
As per Bloomberg data, the
market capitalization of all 20 nationalized
banks is less than Kotak Mahendra Bank. Whereas, market cap of 20 nationalized
banks plus SBI is approximately equal to
the market cap of HDFC Bank. What can be eked out whether state owned banks do
not have the caliber or the zeal or the will to run the banks.
It is not that position has
deteriorated suddenly. In the competitive world, the real picture remains
hidden from all the stake holders: depositors, investors and the regulator.
United Bank of India, in 2014, boldly tried to be transparent and it’s the then
CMD had to lose her job. Now when other PSU banks are finding it difficult to
show faces, United Bank is giggling with profits of Rs 17 crore in its coffers.
Of course, the slowdown is
world over and banking stocks are getting a beat but not up to the level being
witnessed recently with PSU Banks in India. The reasons may be varied. Reserve
Bank has advised banks to clean up their balance sheets by March, 2017 and to
proceed in this direction, RBI has embarked upon Asset Quality Review of the
banks. Till now, the units which were not performing well due to slowdown in the economy and/or other factors, their accounts were
still being managed, sometimes not with the hope that they will turn around but to save
them being declared non-performing. Once declared NPA, bank ceases to earn
income over the account but also have to make higher provisions. The balance sheets of banks, by and large,
did not project the true picture. Now Reserve Bank says before we switch over
to BASEL III, banks balance sheet is required to be clean and fully provisioned.
Recovery efforts under the
DRT and SARFAESI proving to be ineffective, RBI in recent past released
guidelines for additional steps to address the issues of NPAs;-
1. Early Recognition of Financial
Distress, Prompt Steps for Resolution and Fair Recovery for Lenders: Framework
for Revitalising Distress Assets in the Economy.
2. Creation of a Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits (CRILC).
3. Formation of Joint Lenders' Forum
(JLF), Corrective Action Plan (CAP), and sale of assets.
4. Flexible Structuring of long Term
Project Loans to Infrastructure and Core Industries.
5. Willful Default/ Non-Cooperative
Borrowers: to practically close the windows for credit facilities from
financial institutions to this class of borrowers.
6. Strategic Debt Restructuring: to bring change in the management in case of
operational / managerial inefficiency of existing promoters.
7. Government is also coming up with
the amended Bankruptcy Law.
All said and done, the mute
question is why the private banks are comfortable, though feeling heat of the surroundings, but the state owned banks are bleeding. Whether time has come to
assimilate the age old adage that "government is to govern and not to do
business". P. J. Nayak Committee, to Review Governance of Boards of Banks
in India, suggested;-
1. Scrapping and removal of Bank Nationalization
Acts, SBI Act and SBI (Subsidiary Banks) - because these acts require
government to keep its shareholding above 50%.
2. Government should transfer its
shares of PSBs to Bank Investment Company (BIC), with functional autonomy.
3. Conversion of PSBs into companies as
per Companies Act.
4. Appointment of CEOs, Directors and
top executives of PSBs would be the responsibility of the Bank Boards Bureau.
The government has accepted
almost all major recommendations of the Committee except bringing down
government stake below 51%. Seeing the present scenario of the health of public
sector banks, government may review its decision and accept the recommendations
of P.J.Nayak Committee in toto.
However, we should also understand that present position of banks is due to higher provisioning on account of likely loses. If loses do not materialise, banks will write back provisions to profits. As such, after the balance
sheets of banks are cleaned and fully provisioned, we may expect PSU banks on
winning edge once the economy starts turning around. Whatever recovery and sale
proceeds of securities of these non performing assets are received, these will
straight away go into the profits of these banks. With private universal banks,
small banks and payment banks in the fray, PSU banks should be there to keep
balance in the mixed Indian economy. Of course, PSU banks will learn from their
past mistakes and improve upon. With healthy competition, a sound financial system will
emerge and India will stand on firm footing.
(The views expressed in the article are merely for academic purpose and are not subscribed by the organisation where the author is working)
(The views expressed in the article are merely for academic purpose and are not subscribed by the organisation where the author is working)
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