2020-03-18
The Executive Board of the National Bank of Serbia issued this Decision to preserve financial system stability during the COVID-19 pandemic by mandating banks to offer borrowers a debt payment moratorium. Banks are required to implement this suspension of payments for at least 90 days without charging default interest or initiating enforcement procedures, while borrowers are deemed to have accepted the offer unless they explicitly refuse within ten days. Additionally, banks must harmonize internal acts, report monthly on implementation results, and ensure that receivables under these facilities are not classified as non-performing loans.
RS Official Gazette, No 33/2020 Pursuant to Article 4, item 3) and Article 14, paragraph 1, item 11) of the Law on the National Bank of Serbia (RS Official Gazette 72/2003, 55/2004, 85/2005 – other law, 44/2010, 76/2012, 106/2012, 14/2015, 40/2015 – Constitutional Court decision and 44/2018), and with reference to Article 28, paragraph 7 of the Law on Banks (RS Official Gazette, Nos 107/2005, 91/2010 and 14/2015), the Executive Board of the National Bank of Serbia hereby issues the following D E C I S I O N ON TEMPORARY MEASURES FOR PRESERVING FINANCIAL SYSTEM STABILITY
outstanding receivables and shall not initiate enforcement or enforced collection procedures in respect of the borrower, and/or take other legal actions to collect receivables from the borrower. 3. In its internal acts, a bank shall regulate: – authorisations and responsibilities in the process of implementing the measures and activities referred to in this Decision; – the system for monitoring and reporting in the bank and reporting to the National Bank of Serbia on the activities and measures referred to in this Decision and the results of their application; – types of facilities referred to in Section 2, paragraph 6 of this Decision and the conditions for their application; – procedure for communication with borrowers within the meaning of this Decision. A bank shall submit the acts referred to in paragraph 1 of this Section to the National Bank of Serbia immediately upon their adoption. 4. A bank shall, once a month, submit to the National Bank of Serbia a report on the activities implemented and measures taken in accordance with this Decision, and the results of such activities and/or measures. The report referred to in paragraph 1 of this Section shall contain, in particular, data on the total number of borrowers within the meaning of this Decision, number of borrowers to whom facilities were offered in accordance with this Decision, number of borrowers who accepted the offer by type of facility, and all other data relevant for monitoring the efficiency of the procedure being implemented. 5. A bank may not require the borrower to compensate any costs relating to the taking of measures and activities in accordance with this Decision. 6. Receivables from borrowers who were approved facilities referred to in Section 2 of this Decision, and which, at the moment of coming into force of this Decision, were not past due over 90 days – shall not be considered forborne or non-performing receivables or non-performing loans within the meaning of the National Bank of Serbia’s regulations, i.e. they shall not be considered to be in default. 7. A bank shall harmonize its internal acts with the provisions of this Decision within five days from the date of entry into force of this Decision. 8. This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia. NBS Executive Board No 70 Chairperson
RS Official Gazette, No 33/2020 17 March 2020 of the NBS Executive Board Belgrade G o v e r n o r of the National Bank of Serbia Dr Jorgovanka Tabaković