This fact, along with an NPE coverage ratio of 47 percent and good collateral, play a catalytic role in allowing banks to address the pressing issue of reducing significantly the stock of non-performing loans. In addition, significant institutional reforms have been initiated aiming at providing banks with a variety of means of reducing non-performing loans.
According to incoming data, there has been progress since the beginning of the year in the area of banks’ Non Performing Exposures (NPE). At end-June 2017, the stock of NPEs (including off balance sheet items) was 3.2% lower than at end-December 2016. 2.