On March 15, the Central Bank had announced a Dh100 billion stimulus package, which allowed banks to grant temporary relief on retail and business clients' for loans payment of up to six months.
The regulator also took another major step on Sunday, halving the reserve requirement for demand deposit of all banks from 14 per cent to seven per cent in order to increase liquidity in banking sector and mitigate the impact of coronavirus. This step will release Dh61 billion additional liquidity for the banking sector.
The regulator also doubled its stimulus package from Dh126 billion to Dh256 billion since March 15. The new funds now consist of Dh50 billion capital buffer relief banks, Dh50 billion funds available at zero cost to extend finance, Dh95 billion to ensure there is enough liquidity in the market and Dh61 billion reduction of cash reserve requirements.
It also extended zero cost funding facility of Dh50 billion available to banks from mid-September to December 31, 2020.
Abdulhamid Saeed, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, said the additional measures announced will effectively relieve the pressure on financial institutions, allowing them to continue to carry out their crucial role as the backbone of the economy while offering the required relief and continued access to funding for businesses and households.
"The steps the Central Bank of the UAE is taking are forward-looking, targeted and diverse, demonstrating that we are leveraging the full potential of the tools we have at our disposal. The Central Bank expects banks and finance companies to make active use of the Tess facility, for the benefit of their customers and the UAE economy," he added.
AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, chairman of UAE Banks Federation (UBF), stated that by increasing liquidity in the banking sector, it will provide further stability in these uncertain times, and allow banks to offer additional lending and support to critical sectors of the economy.
"To help the country navigate through the temporary difficulties we are facing, UBF, in coordination with the Central Bank of the UAE and its member banks, remains committed to supporting businesses, and advancing economic development and sustainability," Al Ghurair said.
Basel III conditions postponed
The Central Bank said it is working with other regulators to issue guidance on financial reporting standard IFRS 9 for banks and finance companies. It postponed implementation of certain Basel III capital standards to March 31, 2021 for all banks, to minimise the operational burden on the lenders.
Importantly, guidelines have also been issued for banks and finance companies on the implementation of the financial reporting standard, IFRS 9. The guidance has been issued for public consultation and it is expected to be finalised by April 8, 2020.
It also has issued a new requirement for all banks to apply a new filter to IFRS 9 expected loss provisions. The filter aims to minimise the effect of IFRS 9 provisions on regulatory capital, in view of expected volatility due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Any increase in the provisioning compared to December 31, 2019 will be partially added back to regulatory capital. It said IFRS 9 provisions will be gradually phased-in during a five-year period, ending December 31, 2024.
Dubai Financial Services Authority also believes that local financial institutions should cash in on flexibility embedded in IFRS 0 framework to cope with the current crisis.