A new EBRD survey highlights the wide variety of views top bankers hold about the quality of courts, regulators and the legal environment in the countries in which they operate.
The Banking Environment and Performance Survey (BEPS II), conducted jointly by the EBRD and Tilburg University, also illustrates their different approaches to lending, with some favouring building long-term relationships with clients and others short-term transaction lending.
More than 600 banking CEOs in 32 of the EBRD’s countries of operations took part in in-depth, face-to-face interviews for the survey.
The CEOs were asked about their views on topics as diverse as changes in the funding models of their bank in the wake of the financial crisis; the small-business lending technologies they employ; and their perceptions of the competitive landscape as well as the quality of the local legal system.
The results of the survey have now been summarised in short country-by-country snapshots that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the banking environment in each individual country.
The EBRD’s research group is currently analysing the data in more detail in order to uncover how this variation across banks and across countries impacts the ability of firms and households to access credit.
The data is not publicly available due to confidentiality agreements with the participating banks. However, a special BEPS II Analytical Report will be available in early 2014.