BANK LENDING IN UKRAINE: THE CURRENT STATE, PROBLEMS AND NECESSARY PREREQUISITES FOR THE RESTORATION

Abstract

The article focuses on problematic issues that impede the development of bank lending and the search for ways to restore it. In today’s conditions, under the influence of political and economic processes, banking institutions slowed down their lending activity. To identify the causes of this situation, we will conduct an analysis of the lending activity of the banking system of Ukraine for 2014–2016. During this period: net assets of banks decreased by 60,55 bln. the client loan portfolio decreased by 23,6% and as of 01.01.2017 it amounted to 1 005.92 billion UAH; the average interest rates on loans in both national and foreign currencies tend to decrease, namely: from 18,8% to 17,7% in the national currency; from 8,3% to 8,2% in foreign currency. In 2016, a new Provision on the determination by banks of Ukraine of the size of credit risk by active banking operations, which introduced the concept of «non-performing assets / loans», which is as close as possible to the generally accepted world practice of «non-performing exposures/loans» (NPE/NPL). The large one-time increase in the NPL from December 2016 to February 2017 is due to the recognition of non-performing loans of PJSC CB «Privatbank» after the nationalization and change in the methodology for calculating the NPL. Increasing the share of non-working assets is not the only problem in the banking system of Ukraine. A major concern is the loss of confidence in the banking sector, existing credit risks, inadequate legislation, overpriced interest on loans, lack of a credit register, and so on. The National Bank of Ukraine can only make the greatest impact on the situation. To date, he has proposed some regulatory changes that need to be made to resume lending and identified the necessary prerequisites for restoring lending. This is a prerequisite for the stable functioning of the banking system and the overall economic growth of the state.