Prudential response to debt under Covid-19: the supervisory challenges

Highlights

• In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, governments and banks have introduced public guarantees and payment deferrals to support struggling borrowers, while the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and national authorities have provided guidance on how these relief measures should be considered in assessing credit risk in prudential frameworks.
• The regulatory relief measures introduced by the BCBS provide banks with flexibility in supporting the real economy. But they also raise supervisory challenges that become more pronounced the longer the relief measures remain in place, particularly if credit risks continue to mount on bank balance sheets.
• The greatest challenge for all prudential authorities is to decide how and when to exit from these regulatory relief measures. Acting too early may remove much needed credit to support economic growth, while waiting too long could undermine confidence in the post-crisis regulatory regime and heighten systemic risks. Making the right calls at the right time will require judgment.