State-owned enterprises (SoEs) owe over Tk 235.51 billion to five public sector banks, of which over Tk 1.45 billion is classified loan (CL), official data showed.
The major portion of outstanding loans amounting to over Tk 146.64 billion lies with Sonali Bank, followed by Tk 35.18 billion with Janata Bank, Tk 4.35 billion
with Agrani Bank, Tk 45.16 billion with Rupali Bank and the remaining Tk 4.17 billion with BASIC Bank Ltd, according to the Bangladesh Bank's data.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) topped the list of 38 SoEs as its total outstanding loan to five banks stood at over Tk 102 billion at the end of May 2017.
Of the total amount, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) owed over Tk 45 billion to the five SoBs, the data revealed.
Besides, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) owed over Tk 22.96 billion and Tk 15.79 billion respectively to the banks as of May 2017.
Classified loan of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) amounted to Tk 719 million, followed by Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Tk 212 million, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation Tk 206 million and Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation Tk 164 million, the BB data showed.
As of May 2017, the amount of outstanding loans (both funded and non-funded) of the SoEs with the five banks stood at Tk 235.51 billion.
The SoEs particularly a good number of big enterprises have not been paying back loan to the SoBs for a long, creating liquidity crisis, sources said.
The authorities of five SoBs are trying their best to recover outstanding and bad loans from SoEs, they said.
As the loss-making SoEs are not in a position to repay the loan, the SoBs are pursuing the finance ministry and the central bank to ensure repayment of the loans, a senior ministry official told the FE.
The government should take necessary measures as early as possible to offload shares of SoEs in the county's capital market to help achieve its revenue earnings. Outstanding loan of enterprises with the SoBs is escalating day by day, he said.
Senior officials of the two state-owned banks said SoBs remain always reluctant to give fresh loan to these entities due to 'bad' clients. At last, state-owned banks have to provide loan because of pressure from the ministries or divisions concerned, they added.
rezamumu@gmail.com
