EXPERIENCE IN IMPROVING BANKING EFFICIENCY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Authors

  • Asqar Ergashovich Absamatov Independent Researcher, Tashkent State University of Economics

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23643933

Abstract

This article analyses policy measures aimed at improving banking-sector efficiency and stability in Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Malaysia, and China, along with the changes observed during 2016–2025. In Kazakhstan, the non-performing loan ratio declined from 9.3% in 2017 to 2.9% in 2023, while the cost-to-income ratio decreased during 2016–2024, not because of a reduction in costs but because income grew faster than costs. In Chinese commercial banks, the provision coverage ratio increased from 176.4% in 2016 to 205.2% in 2025, while the net interest margin declined from 2.10% in 2020 to 1.42% in 2025. In Uzbekistan, at the end of 2025, the specific provision coverage ratio stood at 52.6%, while the cost-to-income ratio was 52.3% under the Central Bank’s definition and 36.3% under the comparable definition (lower bound). Based on the analysis, recommendations are developed.

Keywords

banking sector, efficiency, financial stability, non-performing loans, provision coverage, cost-to-income ratio, digital banks, international experience

References

1. Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi Prezidentining 12.05.2020-yildagi “2020 — 2025-yillarga moʻljallangan Oʻzbekiston Respublikasining bank tizimini isloh qilish strategiyasi toʻgʻrisida”gi PF-5992-sonli Farmoni, https://lex.uz/docs/-4811025

2. Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi Prezidentining 16.02.2026-yildagi “Mamlakat taraqqiyotining 2030-yilgacha moʻljallangan ustuvor yoʻnalishlari doirasida islohotlarni izchil davom ettirish va yangi bosqichga olib chiqishning qoʻshimcha choratadbirlari toʻgʻrisida”gi PF-21-sonli Farmoni, https://lex.uz/uz/docs/-8050769

3. Assaf, A. G., Matousek, R., & Tsionas, E. G. (2013). Turkish bank efficiency: Bayesian estimation with undesirable outputs. Journal of Banking & Finance, 37(2), 506–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2012.09.009

4. Bank Negara Malaysia. Financial Stability and Payment Systems Report 2016: Annex. – Kuala Lumpur: Bank Negara Malaysia, 2017.

5. Bank Negara Malaysia. Financial Stability Review – First Half 2019: Chart Data. – Kuala Lumpur: Bank Negara Malaysia, 2019.

6. Bank Negara Malaysia. Five Successful Applicants for the Digital Bank Licences: Press Release, 29 April 2022 [Elektron resurs]. – 2022. – URL: https://www.bnm.gov.my/-/digital-bank-5-licences.

7. Bank Negara Malaysia. Financial Stability Review – Second Half 2025: Chart Data. – Kuala Lumpur: Bank Negara Malaysia, 2026.

8. Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency of Türkiye (BDDK). Kurul Kararları: Sayı 9000, 18.04.2020; Sayı 9271, 24.11.2020 [Elektron resurs]. – Ankara: BDDK, 2020. – URL: https://www.bddk.org.tr/Mevzuat/DokumanGetir/786;

9. Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency of Türkiye (BDDK). Monthly Banking Sector Data (Basic Analysis), January 2017 – January 2026. – Ankara: BDDK, 2026.

10. Barth, J. R., Lin, C., Ma, Y., Seade, J., & Song, F. M. (2013). Do bank regulation, supervision and monitoring enhance or impede bank efficiency?. Journal of Banking & Finance, 37(8), 2879–2892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j

11. Berdiyev, T. B. (2025). Tijorat banklarini xususiylashtirish jarayonini samarali tashkil etish yo‘llari: iqtisodiyot fanlari doktori (DSc) dissertatsiyasi avtoreferati. https://api.ziyonet.

12. Berger, A. N., Hasan, I., & Zhou, M. (2009). Bank ownership and efficiency in China: What will happen in the world’s largest nation?. Journal of Banking & Finance, 33(1), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2007.05.016

13. Bonin, J. P., Hasan, I., & Wachtel, P. (2005). Bank performance, efficiency and ownership in transition countries. Journal of Banking & Finance, 29(1), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2004.06.015

14. Fries, S., & Taci, A. (2005). Cost efficiency of banks in transition: Evidence from 289 banks in 15 post-communist countries. Journal of Banking & Finance, 29(1), 55–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2004.06.016

15. Fungáčová, Z., Pessarossi, P., & Weill, L. (2013). Is bank competition detrimental to efficiency? Evidence from China. China Economic Review, 27, 121–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2013.09.004

16. Glass, A. J., Kenjegalieva, K., & Weyman-Jones, T. (2014). Bank performance and the financial crisis: Evidence from Kazakhstan. Applied Financial Economics, 24(2), 121–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603107.2013.868584

17. International Monetary Fund. Republic of Uzbekistan: Financial System Stability Assessment. – Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund, 2025. – IMF Country Report № 25/145. – URL: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/ publications/cr/2025/english/1uzbea2025003-print-pdf.pdf.

18. Jiang, C., Yao, S., & Feng, G. (2013). Bank ownership, privatization, and performance: Evidence from a transition country. Journal of Banking & Finance, 37(9), 3364–3372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2013.05.009

19. Kasimova, Z. (2025). O‘zbekistonda bank tizimining hozirgi holati va rivojlanish tendensiyalari. Yashil iqtisodiyot va taraqqiyot (Green Economy and Development), 3(12), 1372–1378. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18014359

20. Lee, C. (2021). -C., Li X., Yu C.-H., Zhao J. Does fintech innovation improve bank efficiency? Evidence from China’s banking industry. International Review of Economics & Finance, 74, 468–483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j

21. National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA). Main Regulatory Indicators of Commercial Banks; Assets and Liabilities of Banking Institutions, 2020–2025: Quarterly Tables. – Beijing: NFRA, 2026.

22. Nigmonov, A. (2010). Bank performance and efficiency in Uzbekistan. Eurasian Journal of Business and Economics, 3(5), 1–25.

23. O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Markaziy banki. Statistik byulleten. 2026-yil mart [Elektron resurs]. – Toshkent: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Markaziy banki, 2026. – URL: https://cbu.uz/uz/statistics/buleten/.

24. People’s Bank of China, Financial Stability Analysis Group. China Financial Stability Report 2017. – Beijing: People’s Bank of China, 2017.

25. People’s Bank of China, Financial Stability Analysis Group. China Financial Stability Report 2018. – Beijing: People’s Bank of China, 2018.

26. People’s Bank of China, Financial Stability Analysis Group. China Financial Stability Report 2019. – Beijing: People’s Bank of China, 2019.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-01

How to Cite

Absamatov, A. E. (2026). EXPERIENCE IN IMPROVING BANKING EFFICIENCY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. Innovation Science and Technology, 2(8), 293–302. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23643933
Vol. 2 No. 8 (2026): Innovation Science and Technology