DHAKA:  The government has decided to publish a White Paper regarding top loan-defaulters within the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has already sent a letter to Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman to take the necessary action in this regard.

A chart of the required information has been attached with the letter. The minister has requested that if the Bangladesh Bank needs to update the data in the format, it will include the information making the changes.

Sources concerned said in the last parliamentary session, Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman, in his speech, wanted to know the number of top loan-defaulters and amount of loans. He also demanded publication of a white paper regarding the matter.

Later, some newspapers published reports on loan-defaulters. The finance minister sent a letter to the Bangladesh Bank governor seeking a detailed report on loan-defaulters from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014.

In the letter, the finance minister sought such information-- the amount of defaulted loan, and the sum of the loan and its interest, how many times have been scheduled the loans, how much interest has been waived each, whether he/she relieved from loan defaulters.

According to sources, the Bangladesh Bank has already started making report putting importance on the letter sent from the minister. Bangladesh Bank has information in this regard. If any additional information needed, the central bank would deliver to the minister collecting from the concerned banks.

Regarding the matter, Additional Secretary of Finance Ministry said, “It is a good initiative. However, the final list of defaulting customers could not be published earlier. Loan-defaulters’ are very much influential.” He also expressed doubt whether it will be published this time.

An official of the Bangladesh Bank said the bad loans of some victims of the country’s political unrest have been rescheduled. So, the amount of defaulted-debt has been reduced.

According to the Bangladesh Bank, the lending banks have been instructed to keep the loans in regular supervision.

Bangladesh Bank executive director and spokesman M. Mahfuzur Rahman Rahman told banglanews that the central bank will provide information about the top loan-defaulters according to requirement of the minister.

According to the report of the Central Bank, the amount of loans in the banking sector was Tk 5,17,837 crore at the end of December, 2014. The amount of classified loans was Tk 50,156 crore.

At the end of December 2013, defaulted loans in the banking sector was Tk 40,583 crore, which is 8.93 percent of total loans disbursed. The rate of bad loan was 10.03 per cent in 2012. The amount of bad loan was Tk 42725 crore in the banking sector in that year.

BDST: 1206 HRS, APR 11, 2015
RS/SMS