Hello Finance Managers and Credit Managers,
We have conducted a Credit Control Health Check (CCHC) in Thailand in November 2013. The report and findings have recently been finalised. I would like to share with you a few key points from the CCHC that may impact your countries and hence requires your attention. Please cascade the note to your respective credit controller / analysts appropriately.
Approval for Periodic Customer Credit Reviews – (Reference: CP5 Credit Delegation of Authority)
Please note that the authority to approve periodic /cyclical credit reviews is the “Authority to Set Credit Limits”. This is so even if the credit review does not result in any changes in the customer risk rating, credit limits or credit terms. Please ensure that the correct person authorizes the periodic customer credit review based on their Authority to Set Credit Limits.
Exposure Limit Includes Trade Loans Exposure – (Reference: CP2 Setting Credit Limits)
The Authority to Set Credit Limits is defined by the customer risk rating and the exposure limit. The Exposure Limit includes both the credit terms given for trading supply and trade loans offered to the customer. Please ensure that when you decide whether a credit review needs to be escalated for approval, that you consider both the exposure from trading supply and trade loans*.
*Note that this point is relevant to direct or primary customers. Secondary customers (customer of our distributors) do not trade with us directly and hence there is no trading supply exposure. However, if trade loans are provided to secondary customers whereby the committed volumes are guaranteed by the distributor , then the sum of secondary customers loans need to be considered as part of the total exposure of that distributor.
Share Drive for Electronic Credit Documents – (Reference: CP1 Credit Appraisals)
All credit documents needs to be archived electronically on share drives and not on personal computers. Access to these share drives should be limited to credit teams. Credit documents include scorecard, external agency reports, credit assessments, ACDD screening and copy of emails related to approvals. Please ensure that all these documents are archived systematically in a share drive and is retrievable for review where necessary.