NEW DELHI: The government is unlikely to announce capital infusion for public sector banks (PSBs) in the upcoming Budget, as their financial health has improved on the back of reduction in bad loans, sources said. To augment their resources, banks would be encouraged to raise funds from the market and also by selling their non-core assets, they added.
In the current fiscal, the government has earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for the recapitalisation of PSBs. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Budget on February 1.
It is to be noted that the net profit of PSBs surged to Rs 14,012 crore in the first quarter, which further rose to Rs 17,132 crore in the second quarter ended September 2021. The combined profit of the first half of the current fiscal is close to the total profit earned in the entire previous financial year.
During the last financial year, PSBs raised capital funds to the tune of Rs 58,697 crore, the highest amount mobilised in a fiscal. Capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of PSBs increased to 14.3% at the end of June, 2021 while the provision coverage ratio of public sector banks rose to an 8-year high of 84%. In some non-performing assets, banks have done provisions up to 100%, sources said, adding that recovery from those accounts will straightaway form part of the bottomline.
Banks have been asked to focus on the recovery process as this would further boost their financial health. Meanwhile, banks are also working to expand their balance sheet under the credit outreach programme started October 16, 2021.
