Statement from the NBS Bank Board’s 22nd meeting of 2020

The Bank Board of Národná banka Slovenska today (27 October) held its 22nd meeting of 2020, chaired by NBS Governor Peter Kažimír.

The Bank Board took note of NBS’s October 2020 Monthly Bulletin, which will be published on the NBS website.

The Bank Board decided to leave the countercyclical capital buffer (ССyB) rate unchanged at 1.00%.

In the view of NBS, the freeing-up of capital by the previous two CCyB decisions is sufficient in the light of developments to date. On the one hand, loan-loss provisioning across the banking sector as a whole has so far been fully commensurate with the recent CCyB rate reductions. On the other hand, banks have a discretionary capital buffer that provides them significant leeway for lending to firms and households.

At the same time, the incoming second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is increasing risks and uncertainty in relation to future developments. Given the uncertainty about what will happen after the expiry of the optional moratorium on loan repayments, including the possibility that loan delinquencies will accelerate and that further loan-loss provisioning will be necessary, NBS considers it appropriate to leave the CCyB rate unchanged.

NBS stands ready to reduce the CCyB rate further if necessary. Any decision on the CCyB rate will be based mainly on developments in credit risk costs and also on such other factors as non-performing loan ratios, the sufficiency of capital available for lending, etc.

The current setting of the CCyB rate for domestic exposures, as determined by the NBS Bank Board, is as follows:

The Bank Board approved the notification of the issuance of a €10 silver collector coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Janko Matúška.

The coin is made from an alloy of silver (90%) and copper (10%), weighs 18 g, and has a diameter of 34 mm. Designed by Peter Valach and produced by the Kremnica Mint, the coin is due to go on sale in January 2021.

Peter Majer
NBS Spokesperson

National Bank of Slovakia
Communications Section
Imricha Karvasa 1, 813 25 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Tel.: +421-2-5787 2142, +421-2-5865 2142, +421-2-5787 2169, +421-2-5865 2169
Internet: http://www.nbs.sk

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