General Loan Loss Provisions
The banks should, over a period of time, build adequate expertise in estimating the expected and unexpected losses, with the data on past loss experiences, spanning multiple credit cycles .The general loan loss provisions should ideally be determined on the basis of credit ratings and the associated default probabilities, loss given defaults, rating migrations, current macro-economic environment and other pertinent indicators.
In the meanwhile, banks should create general loan loss provisions, latest by December 31, 2006, at least equivalent to 1% of their loans, categorized as Standard and Special Mention for meeting the latent loan losses. However, considering the heightened risk inherent in personal loans, a minimum general loss provision of 2% of the Standard and Special Mention personal loans should be created, latest by December 31, 2006. Banks are also encouraged to create such provisions in excess of the thresholds.