Banking

In the midst of the political and economic turmoil that has plagued Brazil in recent times, there is one financial sector that appears to have particularly strong credentials for buoyant growth over the coming years.

To say that a central bank is influential in determining the course of national markets and economies would be a serious understatement. But behind the central bank’s more obvious monetary policy lies its collateral policy, a hidden but key contributor to its overall, far-reaching financial impact. What exactly are collateral frameworks, and what do they really do?

Banks may see a benefit in political involvement, but it also brings risks of influencing political decisions, especially legislations and regulations that would affect their businesses, but this ideal may not line up with the reality. The public’s skepticism of banks’ integrity has not improved much recently—in large part due to their relative lack of transparency regarding their political engagement, as transparency studies show.

On June 20, it was revealed that the former chief executive of Barclays, John Varley, and three of the bank’s former senior executives had been charged by the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

NFC Bank aims to make life easy for its customers in the Central African country of Cameroon. In a complex and demanding world, this is a tall order, but as Aelred Fokwen explains, NFC has been remarkably successful, drawing in many members of the country’s enormous population of previously unbanked who benefit from the bank’s commitment to branch expansion and digital solutions.

The familiar adage We learn best from our own mistakes is particularly apt for Bank Islam, which in the past 10 years has completed a turnaround that saw it recover from a state of crisis to gain its current status as Malaysia’s Islamic-banking leader. Its transition from multiple mainly credit-related failures to overwhelming successes is an inspiration for struggling banks the world over.

Increasingly banks are moving from a defensive “shield” position toward automation to a more aggressive “sword” stance, using the powerful advantage they have as keepers of historical customer data to not only meet expressed client needs but predict future behavior.

Ithmaar Bank, a Sharia-compliant Islamic retail bank in Bahrain, recently underwent a reorganization that is ensuring its growth and profitability for years to come. CEO Ahmed Abdul Rahim points to several factors in achieving success in today’s challenging world of Islamic finance.

Economies dependent on oil exports have been devastated by the sharp drop in oil prices, including Africa’s second-largest oil exporter, Angola. Despite the gloom, Banco Angolano de Investimentos, the country’s largest private bank, has swum against the down currents of its banking peers by delivering net income growth and successfully exploiting numerous rewarding market opportunities.

Many bank managers are grateful that they do not live and work in war-torn countries; but guess what, hardline terrorists are bringing the battle close to home. Within the current world climate, banks, small and large, have a responsibility to participate in the war against domestic terrorism by implementing vigorous anti-money-laundering/counter-terrorist-financing programs.