The assets of Ukraine’s banking system by the end of 2017 will amount to UAH 1.5-1.6 trillion (as of October 1, 2016 some UAH 1.27 trillion), while the number of banks will not exceed 75-80 against 95 currently operating, former deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Vladyslav Rashkovan forecasts.
“It remains to be seen, but it should be a good year for the banking system and its customers”, he wrote on his Facebook page.
According to his forecast, the share of the largest 20 banks will increase to 92-93% of total assets (as of October 1, 2016 some 89.8%), while the share of the second group of local banks will fall to 2-2.5%. The share of foreign and state-owned banks (including nationalized PrivatBank) will continue growing – to 82-85%, and that of local and Russian – to decline. However, no new foreign banks will appear, but deals to acquire the assets of financial institutions will continue, mainly in the framework of Russian banks’ leaving the Ukrainian market.
According to Rashkovan, some small banks will be closed due to insufficient capitalization, part of frozen banks will undergo self-liquidation, and the rest will unite – a maximum of five or six merger transactions in the second half of the year in case of no agreement between the owners. (Interfax/Business World Magazine)