Finance Minister urges PSBs to step up lending to MSMEs, agriculture and housing sectors

29 Jan 2019 Evaluate

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal has urged public sector banks (PSBs) to step up lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), agriculture and housing sectors and also assured these lenders of all kinds of support. He observed that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has helped the PSBs recover over Rs 1 lakh crore in the three quarters of 2018-19. He expressed confidence that it would make them more profitable in days to come.

Goyal in its meeting with the heads of PSU banks discussed internal mechanism to resolve cases under the RBI guidelines and within the framework set in the bankruptcy court and see how there can be a faster resolution so that business can turnaround and banks can turnaround. Assuring full support to PSBs, he said that bankers have also got confidence from the amendment in the Prevention of Corruption Act that bona fide actions are protected by the law. He further said that banks have had discussions on various matters with RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. He noted that they have also discussed various ways in which the operations of the banks can become more efficient, customer friendly and profitable, besides ensuring that the stated goals of this government are directed towards reaching financial inclusion of every Indian anywhere in the country.

The minister further said “we would like them to look at ways to improve delivery of services to our farmers. We would like them to be more proactive in encouraging retail businesses. We are going to see a far more vibrant, a far more proactive and a far more profitable banking sector in the days to come.' He also said that the banks were advised to maintain the trend of improvement in performance, with a view to bringing them out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework at the earliest. In this connection, he said the significant reduction in stressed assets and significant de-risking of their credit portfolios during the financial year 2019 were taken note of.


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