Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - At least 15 commercial banks disbursed less than 60 percent of their annual targets of agriculture loans in the first nine months of the current financial year, the central bank data showed.
However, disbursement of the agricultural loans by all banks increased by 10.99 per cent in July-March of the FY 2012-13 compared with that of the same period in the FY 2011-12, according to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) statistics.
The banks collectively disbursed BDT 102 billion, or 72.19 percent, of their annual target of BDT 141 billion in farm loans in July-March of the FY 2012-2013.
In the first nine months of the FY 2011-12, the banks had disbursed BDT 91.89 billion, or 66.50 percent of their annual target of BDT 138 billion in farm loans.
“The farm loan disbursement increased in the period due to a central bank’s directive to the banks to distribute farm loans on mandatory basis,” a BB official said.
He also said that the government had earlier formed committees at district and upazila levels to gear up loan disbursement and the committees were more active now.
According to the BB data, the 15 banks that disbursed less than 60 percent of their annual targets of farm loans in the first nine months of the FY 2012-13 are National Bank of Pakistan (44.74%), Woori Bank (14.76%), Bank Asia (36.57%), Bangladesh Commerce Bank (30.11%), BRAC Bank (46.34%), Dhaka Bank (54.64%), EXIM Bank (55.14%), IFIC Bank (27.69%), Jamuna Bank (59.66%), Mutual Trust Bank (51.78%), Prime Bank (51.40%), Shahjalal Islami Bank (18.80%), Southeast Bank (24.66%), Standard Bank (23.95%), and Trust Bank (53.17%), the New Age, a local newspaper, reported.
The BB official said that a bank should disburse 75 percent of its annual target of farm loans in the first nine months of a year to achieve its target.
The 15 banks failed to disburse the expected amount of agricultural loans due to lack of effective measures, he added.
According to the BB data, the four state-owned and two specialised banks are lagging behind the private commercial banks in disbursing agricultural loans in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
In the first nine months of the FY 2012-13, the state-owned commercial banks — Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali — and the two specialized banks — Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank — together disbursed BDT 6,0.81 billion, or 70.65 percent of their annual loan disbursement target of BDT 8,6.07 billion.
The private and foreign commercial banks together disbursed BDT 41.19 billion in agricultural loans in July-March, which was 74.58 percent of their total annual loan disbursement target of BDT 55.23 billion.
BBN/SSR/AD-13Apr13-11:15 am (BST)
