L'atto finale che riguarda HAA va seguito non perchè vi siano dubbi sul destino della banca, ma solo per essere preparati sulle possibili ricadute negative sulla altre banche austriache....
Hypo Group Alpe Adria: „Bad Bank Will Come“
1/4/2014, 5:57 PM (Source: FriedlNews)back
Klaus Liebscher, chairman of Hypo Group´s supervisory board, underlines that a bad bank will be established for the nationalized lender. Nevertheless, the bank remains the biggest financial disaster in Austria´s history.
In order to shift risky assets away from the economically sound part of Hypo Group, there will be a downsizing unit, Klaus Liebscher said in an interview with the Austrian daily “Presse”. In total, non-performing loans of € 18bn will be transferred to the downsizing unit. However, there are still some unsolved questions, he added. Until the end of 2014, a solution will be presented, Liebscher announced.
Liebscher still wants Austrian privately held banks to participate in the downsizing unit. “In this case, Hypo Group´s debts would not be counted as part of the public debt.” According to Liebscher, the Austrian public debt ratio would increase by six percentage points otherwise. At the moment, the Austrian public debt ratio comes at 76%.
Liebscher argues that the downsizing unit is necessary in order to sell the risky assets without any time pressure. Hypo Group must be sold until the end of 2015. Without the downsizing unit, Hypo Group would not be saleable. Besides that, the Austrian state would not have to provide further capital injections. “We do not need a bank license therefore. As a result, we do not have to regard the capital requirements for banks.”
Nevertheless, also the downsizing unit will need capital injections. Otherwise losses cannot be covered, Liebscher told “Presse”.
Due to its rapid expansion the Balkan region in the years from 2000 to 2008, more than 30% of Hypo Group Alpe Adria´s loan portfolio is risky. This is the highest NPL quota among Austrian banks. Even five years after the nationalization, the asset quality could not be stabilized. As a result, the timeframe for the downsizing unit is not defined yet, Liebscher explains. “In case of an economic improvement in the Balkan region, the assets may be sold easier. However, I think that we will not have sold the assets within ten years.”
Until the end of 2017, the European Commission has approved state aids of € 5.4bn. “It is my objective that we do not need the full amount. Last year, state aids of € 1.9bn were approved. In the end, we had to pay € 1.75bn.” Liebscher said. Since the nationalization in December 2009, capital injections have totaled € 3.6bn. In 2013, Hypo Group´s capital injections were the highest. Insiders report that without the latest capital injection of € 800m, Hypo Group could not even prepare its financial statements. Already in spring 2014, the nationalized lender will need fresh money again. Economists expect the future capital shortfall to reach about € 7bn. In the worst case scenario, Austrian taxpayers have to inject about € 14bn in Hypo Group. Even Hypo Group confirmed that the future capital situation is uncertain.
Liebscher´s predecessor as chairman of Hypo Group´s supervisory board Johannes Ditz said recently in an interview with “Presse”. „I have called for a bad bank from the very beginning. However, the government has postponed the decision again and again. New consultants were hired and new expert opinions were made. But what was the result? The future of Hypo Group is even more uncertain than ever before. Now, the whole bank is a bad bank.”
Liebscher is optimistic that the bad bank will come in 2014. “I am glad that the government had changed its mind in the last months.” According to the advisory firm Oliver Wyman, Hypo Group´s bankruptcy would have been less expensive for the Austrian state. Liebscher stresses that Hypo Group´s bankruptcy was never an option for the Austrian government. “And it never will be an option. “Such a scenario would have been a disaster for the Austrian financial location. Austrian Banks would have suffered from an enormous collateral damage.” Liebscher adds.