The Macroeconomic Determinants of Credit Risk in the Banking Sector of Kyrgyzstan

Credit risk, i.e. the risk of loan default, is a significant risk faced by banks in every country. While banks make loans in order to generate income, by making loans they also face a risk of losing their principal and the interest. As part of their lending business, a small percentage of loan default (non-performing loans) is always expected. However, large volumes of loan defaults can push banks into bankruptcy and can cause financial instability in the banking sector. Therefore, it is important to know the factors affecting the credit risk, i.e. non-performing loans, in the banking sector. Especially in the newly established countries such as Kyrgyzstan, where most of the economic and financial policies are newly introduced and the banking sector is in its infancy, it is vital for the governments to understand the factors that increase the credit risk. This research uses the econometrics analysis to determine the macroeconomic factors that increase the credit risk in the banking sector of Kyrgyzstan. The findings indicate that real GDP growth rate, exchange rate of Som per US Dollar, corruption and the presence of political instability affect the credit risk in Kyrgyzstan. While GDP growth rate is negatively related with the credit risk, the exchange rate, corruption, and political instability are positively related with the same. The findings of this research suggest that in order to reduce the credit risk of banks and promote stability in the banking sector, the policy makers in Kyrgyzstan must promote political stability and economic growth, while the value of the local currency should be stabilized against US dollar. Furthermore the government must take actions to reduce high levels of corruption in the country. Keywords: NPLs, credit risk, banks, corruption, macroeconomy, Kyrgyzstan