Elias Neocleous & Co

Like most financial engineering techniques, securitisation is not without risk. The complexity inherent in securitisation can impair investors' ability to monitor risk, and competitive securitisation markets are prone to sharp declines in underwriting standards. Furthermore, off-balance sheet accounting treatment for securitisations coupled with guarantees from the issuer can make it challenging to assess exposures, encouraging issuers to take on excessive credit risk. Even the most ardent advocates of securitisation would accept that securitisation played an important role in the US subprime mortgage crisis that led to the global financial crisis of 2008.

The 2013 banking crisis brought to light the serious issue of Cyprus banks carrying on their balance sheets substantial provisions for non-performing loans (NPLs) which adversely affected the banking sector's profitability and sustainability. In response to EU pressure, the government of Cyprus put considerable effort into tackling the problem of NPLs, implementing various measures including improved foreclosure legislation and measures to assist banks to restructure their loan portfolios.

On September 14, the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) published its latest analysis of data on non-performing loans in the Cyprus banking sector. The analysis covered the period to May 31 2018, and showed aggregate non-performing facilities and related indicators for the domestic operations of credit institutions operating in Cyprus.