ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº

Skip to Main Navigation
Events

NPL Resolution, Insolvency and SMEs in Post-COVID-19 Times

May 12, 2022

Virtual

EAP-Insolvency-Banner.jpg
  • Many governments, supervisory and macroprudential authorities in EAP and worldwide have taken bold and large-scale action to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies and banking systems. International standard setters have guided how flexibility in the macro and micro-prudential framework should be implemented. A significant part of the policy measures deployed internationally focus on loan forbearance. In addition, preparing the enabling environment for efficient and effective Non-Performing Loan resolution has gained importance to maintain banking sector stability.  

    The risk of a rise in Non-Performing Loans, coupled with a high degree of corporate vulnerability and low-performing insolvency systems, could set the stage for a ¡®perfect storm¡¯ of firm failure.   Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) form the majority of enterprises in most economies and accordingly, many governments around the world are currently examining policies to address this large but vulnerable group of economic actors to maximize value preservation and facilitate market exit where necessary.

    Many SMEs in East Asia and the Pacific have felt severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  COVID-related social distancing, temporary closures, and health and safety directives have interrupted business, cut labor productivity, and reduced revenues¡ªleaving many unable to meet debt obligations as they come due.   While the employment and earning impacts of the pandemic have been large and widespread, larger firms have been recovering faster than SMEs¡ªwith SMEs both more vulnerable to the crisis and less able to adapt by going digital. The monthly sales of SMEs have fallen by 7 to 23 percentage points more than larger firms in EAP countries. In many countries in East Asia, SMEs represent more than 95 percent of businesses and provide well over 50 percent of employment.

    To mitigate these effects, authorities in East Asia and Pacific jurisdictions have adopted a battery of fiscal, monetary, and financial measures to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 on the real economy. Public guarantee schemes and other forms of credit enhancements have also been implemented to support the flow of credit. Authorities provided some degree of regulatory relief to financial institutions to keep the flow of credit to the economy.  In addition, the COVID-19 crisis has spurred some reforms to the financial infrastructure in some East Asia and Pacific jurisdictions.

    Yet challenges remain with respect to effective management of the build-up of Non-Performing Loans. Non-Performing Loan ratios in East Asia and Pacific do not necessarily capture the full spectrum of non-performing exposures and may be painting a deceptively reassuring picture, as credit risk that may arise is not captured by reported NPL ratios so banks may not be provisioning adequately for credit losses. Another opportunity for reform could be from the improvement of existing restructuring tools under national insolvency frameworks and enhanced out of court tools should be deployed to encourage negotiations between private debtors and their creditors, which has been a successful tool in past crises.

    Objectives:

    The workshop will provide a forum to take stock of the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis so far in the East Asia and Pacific region, on the economy¡¯s financial sector and vulnerable sectors particularly Small and Medium Enterprises. The primary objective of this workshop is to share experiences and lessons from other countries to identify good practices in prudential supervision and regulation and a robust enabling environment for Non-Performing Loan resolution and to facilitate private sector participation.

    Speakers will also discuss the existing tools (legal and regulatory) in selected jurisdictions of East Asia and Pacific to address business failure of SMEs, in particular, and the role of the financial sector and the insolvency courts in this regard. Furthermore, the workshop will provide an overview of restructuring options within the East Asia and Pacific region and possible approaches for enhancing business restructuring using available out of court and court tools.

  • Time (EST)

    Program

    Speakers

     

    9:00 ¨C 9:05

    Welcome Remarks

    Zafer Mustafaoglu, Practice Manager, World Bank

    9:05 ¨C 9.15

    Introduction

    Mahesh Uttamchandani, Practice Manager, World Bank

    9:15 - 9:25

    Regional Overview []

    Katia D¡¯Hulster, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank

    Session 1 ¨C Resolution Strategies for Non-Performing Loans in the post-COVID-19 landscape

    (Moderated by Stuart Yikona, WBG)

    9:25 ¨C 9.35

     

    Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Non-Performing Loans []

    Seci Taleniwesi, Manager, Statistics and Macro-prudential Surveillance, Reserve Bank of Fiji

    9:35 ¨C 9:45

    Regulatory and supervisory policies and expectations in times of COVID-19 and how to exit loan forbearance measures []

    Jose Recon Tano, Director, Financial Supervision Department V, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

    9:45 ¨C 9.55

    Selected East Asia & Pacific responses to COVID-19: Tools for Non-Performing Loans resolution, current practices mitigating policy obstacles to Non-Performing Loans Resolution []

    Sun Joon Choe, Team Head, International Business Department, Korea Asset Management Corporation

    9:55 ¨C 10:10

    Q&A for session 1

     

    Session 2 ¨C Small & Medium Enterprises restructuring and insolvency in the post COVID-landscape

    (Moderated by Nina Mocheva, Insolvency & Debt Resolution, WBG)

    10:10 ¨C 10:20

    International responses and government measures to support Small & Medium Enterprises during the pandemic: What worked and what more to be done? []

    Aurelio Gurrea Martinez (Singapore Management University)

    10:20 ¨C 10:30

    Why a robust Insolvency & Creditor Rights framework should take into consideration the specific challenges of Small & Medium Enterprises insolvencies []

    Ms. Phyllis McKenna, Official Receiver¡¯s Office, Hong Kong SAR

    10:30 ¨C 10:40

    Selected examples of East Asia & Pacific jurisdictions providing for Small & Medium Enterprises -specific insolvency procedures []

    Professor Charles D. Booth, Director, Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law (IAPBL)

    10.40 ¨C 10:55

    Q&A for session 2

     

    Session 3 ¨C The way forward

    (Moderated by Benjamin Tisdell, WBG IFC)

    10:55¨C 11:05

    Challenges and achievement of incentivizing Non-Performing Loan investment and facilitating resolution in selected East Asia & Pacific countries []

    Keith Pogson, Senior Partner, Financial Services, Ernst & Young Asia Pacific

    11:05 ¨C 11:15

    How can business restructuring in the East Asia & Pacific region be enhanced through out of court and existing court mechanisms and procedures? []

    Scott Atkins (President INSOL International)

    11:15 ¨C 11:40

    Q&A for session 3

     

    11:40 -  11:45

    Closing remarks

    Cecile Thioro Niang, Practice Manager, FCI EAP

DETAILS

  • WHEN (KUALA LUMPUR & SEOUL): May 12, 2022 (9 a.m. KL, 10 a.m. Seoul)
  • WHEN (WASHINGTON D.C.): May 11, 2022 (9 p.m.)