medium-sized banks, it may be a threat.
How should we advance systematization of such state-owned and small and mediumsized banks being very behind the times, whether to steer to a joint center system
like Japan (joint banking centers for regional banks, joint centers for shinkin banks,
etc.), whether we should promote reorganization by consolidation and abolition. This
point is one of our challenges. The deployment of CBM-NET terminals to branches
is another challenge to be considered.
(C) Undeveloped settlement risk management
Through interviews with CBM officials and FIs, we had the impression that an
understanding of settlement risk was scarce in Myanmar, in fact, it seemed that the
settlement risk management was not controlled strictly.
For example, there is a settlement practice called the Link Bank Agreement
(hereinafter “LBA”) among commercial banks. This is based on contracts between
two banks and is a mechanism that enables remittances between two banks within
the range of deposits made to each other in advance as collateral. As for problems on
the settlement risk of LBA, there are risks associated with the transportation of cash
deposits (we occasionally came across the scene where cash was put in a sack and
carried in a light truck) and uncertainties as to how the LBA settlement finality is
secured. (It seems that positions for a couple of days are cleared collectively.) In
foreign countries, it is recommended to conduct interbank settlement on the current
account at the central bank to reduce the settlement risk as well as PFMI is also
recommending using funds settlement service, security settlement service and
collateral management service that provided by central bank.
However, the LBA
and transportation of cash are remarkably opposed to that trend. CBM should
encourage interbank settlement based on the current account at the central bank as
a supervisory authority on settlement risk and as the administrator of the settlement
system. It is also considered necessary to devise ways to raise incentives for this,
such as improvement in functions and user-friendliness of CBM-NET, abolishment
of commission for cash deposits and withdrawals, paying interest to excess reserves
on the current account at the central bank, and other ways.
As another example, there is also a problem of the settlement risk related to the
central settlement at MPU and MCH. At present, the mechanism is to centrally
6