PNB raises asset quality guidance, aims to lower net NPA to 3.5% by March

Gross NPAs reduced to 11.27% in April-June quarter from 14.33% a year ago; eight accounts worth Rs 2,486 cr will be transferred to NARCL

State-owned Punjab National Bank has raised its asset quality guidance and seeks to lower net non-performing assets (NPA) to 3.5 per cent by March 2023-end from 4.28 per cent on June 30, 2022.

The Delhi-based lender had earlier projected lowering net NPA to sub-4 per cent level by end of the current fiscal.

“...On account of actions taken by the bank, net NPA is going to be reduced to 3.5 per cent definitely by March 2023. I’m confident of achieving this number," PNB managing director Atul Kumar Goel said at the post-earnings press conference.

In April-June, PNB’s net NPAs declined to 4.28 per cent from 5.84 per cent a year ago and 4.8 per cent in January-March 2022. In absolute terms, the net NPA of the banks stood at Rs 31,744 crore on June 2022, versus Rs 38,581 crore in June 2021.

The lender’s gross NPAs reduced to 11.27 per cent in April-June from 14.33 per cent a year ago. Gross NPAs, in absolute terms, stood at Rs 90,167 crore on June 2022 as compared to Rs 1.04 trillion in June 2021. PNB seeks to bring down gross NPAs to single digits by the end of the current financial year, Goel said.

The bank has formed a team of about 300 officials who monitor all NPA accounts, Goel said. It is attempting to improve recoveries from bad loans and is monitoring all accounts including those on which Sarfaesi or NCLT proceedings are underway, he added.

Goel said the bank has made recoveries of over Rs 7,000 crore in April-June, and it expects to recover Rs 8,000-9,000 crore every quarter. It wants to ensure that its recoveries are higher than slippages, he added.

The lender has identified eight accounts worth Rs 2,486 crore that will be transferred to the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL). All banks collectively are expected to transfer bad loans of Rs 50,000 crore to NARCL, Goel said, who is also chairman of Indian Banks Association, and is spearheading the rollout of the government-backed asset reconstruction company.

On Friday, the bank reported a 70 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 308.4 crore in April-June. Goel said the dip was caused by a fall in treasury profit due to a rise in interest rates and mark-to-market losses. Treasury profit dropped from Rs 1,118 crore in June 2021 quarter to Rs 573 crore in April-June 2022, Goel said.

In April-June 2022, PNB took a hit of Rs 1,409 crore in MTM losses while in the June 2021 quarter, there was a reversal of MTM of about Rs 301 crore, he added.