Bad debts declining, PSU banks' loan recovery picking up: FM Jaitley

Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar said banks expect to recover Rs 1.8 trn through IBC and other routes during the current fiscal

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday said bad debts or NPAs in the banking system are on the decline as recoveries of unpaid loans have picked up.

Speaking to reporters after the annual review meet with top PSU bankers, he said last several years had been challenging for public sector banks as a large amount of lending was held up in NPAs.

But after the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) came into force, which calls for an auction of assets of loan defaulting entities, recoveries have picked up.

Recoveries are better, the lending ability of banks is much better and to top it all credit growth has significantly moved upwards, he said.

"We are passing through a phase of good growth as far as the economy is concerned. Consumption has moved up, and therefore the banking activity is bound to pick up," he said.

The finance minister said that the government stands in full support of PSBs on capital requirement. Jaitley also informed that a financial inclusion index has been launched for each state. 
 

Jaitley said that recoveries were higher as debtors had started making payments because they feared action under the IBC. He added that wilful defaulters no longer wanted to be defaulters because of the IBC. The finance minister also said that the optimism on recoveries was based on the fact that many cases were in the final stages of IBC. 

The finance minister also said that IBC's Section 29A has helped in getting defaulters to pay up. 

Jaitley also said that bankers have sought a revamp of prompt corrective action guidelines. 

On the IL&FS matter, Jaitley said that the government was closely monitoring situation. 

Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar said banks expect to recover Rs 1.8 trillion through IBC and other routes during the current fiscal. 

The review meeting Tuesday discussed credit growth and asset quality, he said.

The focus should now be on arresting fresh slippages, he said adding close to Rs 180 billion worth of non-core assets will be sold by PSBs this financial year.