Moody’s: Bank system in Belarus can collapse any time

• 3.12.2010, 10:09

Belarusian bank system gives independent experts rise to concern.

Indeed, Belarusian banks lend out money even when it’s strongly not recommended.

International rating agency Moody’s prepared an analytical report, where they had estimated the risks of Belarusian bank system to be very high. The whole text of the report got at the disposal of BelaPAN.

In Moody's report a “negative” forecast of the development of Belarus bank system is stated. At request of BelaPAN the conclusion of the rating agency was commented by junior vice-president - Moody's analyst Maxim Bogdashkin.

“The forecast of development of the bank system remains “negative”, as the operational environment for financial institutes’ activity in Belarus is still complicated, - Maxim Bogdashkin says. – We see serious risks in macroeconomical sphere and think that they can lead to deterioration in banks’ loan portfolios, to loss of liquidity of bank sector.”

In the expert’s opinion, impossibility of the state to render resource assistance to the banks can slow down the lending rates in the country.

Another circumstance that worries the rating agency is the amount of distressed assets in bank system of Belarus.

According to official statistics data, the share of distressed assets in bank system amounted to 4% on October, 1. However, Moody's analysts estimate the level of distressed assets in Belarusian bank system to be much higher.