RBI may hike provision coverage ratio levels, if needed: K C Chakrabarty

10 Dec 2012 Evaluate

Criticizing banks showing higher profits without providing adequately for bad loans, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty said, if needed, the central may hike provision coverage ratio (PCR) levels. Speaking about NPAs of banks, Chakrabarty attributed banks’ poor administration and risk management practices to the rising NPA levels.

On the sidelines he said, why banks need to show profits as high as 25%, they can show 5% growth in their profits. If banks are not focusing on provision ratio, RBI will increase it provision coverage ratio. The RBI had done away with its earlier requirement of forcing banks to maintain the PCR, or the ratio of provision to gross non-performing assets (NPAs), at 70%. The apex bank had increased the PCR to 70 per cent after the Lehman crisis in 2008 and this was applicable till September, 2011.

While almost all private banks have higher PCR, but majority of the state-run lenders especially the smaller ones, have shown a drop in PCR in the second quarter earnings and posted a good jump in profits as a result.

The RBI Deputy Governor further said that we have to make the administration functioning and change in the administration has to come in a slew of areas, which would be internal as well as external. He added that RBI has floated a discussion paper to explore having dynamic provisioning which requires banks to keep aside money during good times for a rainy day, rather than providing after an account has gone bad.

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