A reflective summary of the problems outlined
above, along with their linkages to the real economy,
can be had by taking stock of the key adjustments
that have taken place on banks’ balance sheets in the
wake of the 1997 crisis. Starting with the liability
side, the left hand panel of Figure 13 shows that the
share of deposit has increased significantly since the
crisis in line with the economic recovery. At the same
time, commercial banks have substantially reduced
their reliance on foreign currency debt as a source of
funds. This has been accompanied by a lengthening
of the maturity profile of their borrowings, two-thirds
of which consisted of short-term loans before the
crisis. With respect to the use of funds, the right hand
panel of Figure 13 captures the considerable decline
in private credit in commercial banks’ asset portfolio.
This decline has been compensated for by higher investments in foreign assets and government
securities. Reflecting the growing size of the bond
market, commercial banks’ corporate bond holdings
have also risen, and the associated increase in interest
rate risk has to be managed carefully going forward.