Credit risk All of the major periods of stress in Australian banking have been caused by credit losses. In the most recent episode - in the late 1980s and early 1990s - banks wrote off over $ billion in loan losses. There have been recent comments from some bankers and others that lending standards are slackening once again, perhaps threatening another such round.
Mr. Chairman, there are a number of factors that explain the success of Standard Chartered Bank in the market: the provision of better quality products and services, competitive pricing and enhanced access by customers on terms structured to meet their needs, and a culture rooted in uncompromising respect for the highest standards and integrity that are essential for public confidence.