{"id":266271,"date":"2026-02-05T05:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=266271"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:06:13","slug":"imf-says-banking-sector-stable-but-credit-growth-is-slowing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/imf-says-banking-sector-stable-but-credit-growth-is-slowing\/","title":{"rendered":"IMF Says Banking Sector Stable, but Credit Growth Is Slowing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The International Monetary Fund says Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s financial system remains stable and liquid, even as credit growth has slowed<\/strong> across banks and credit unions.<\/p>

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In a concluding statement following its Article IV consultation mission, IMF staff said bank lending to the private sector decelerated to just under 5 percent<\/strong> in the year to November 2025, down from about 12\u00bd percent a year earlier. Lending growth among credit unions also moderated over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fund noted that banks\u2019 nonperforming loan (NPL) ratios have remained below the 5 percent prudential threshold<\/strong> since late 2024, reflecting improved asset quality and prudent risk management. However, it said credit union NPLs remain somewhat higher<\/strong>, underscoring the need for continued supervisory attention.<\/p>

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Despite the slowdown in credit expansion, the IMF said liquidity across the financial system remains strong<\/strong>, with banks holding sizable assets, including placements abroad. The Fund added that limited access to finance continues to be cited by businesses as a constraint, even as lenders point to a shortage of bankable projects.<\/p>

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IMF staff welcomed recent steps to strengthen financial intermediation, including the launch of the regional credit bureau<\/strong> for banks in Antigua and Barbuda and its planned expansion to credit unions, saying this should help reduce information gaps between lenders and borrowers and support broader access to credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IMF said maintaining financial stability while improving access to finance will be key to supporting inclusive growth, and encouraged continued efforts to strengthen supervision, provisioning and capital buffers, particularly among credit unions.<\/p>

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The International Monetary Fund says Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s financial system remains stable and liquid, even as credit growth has slowed across banks and credit unions. In a concluding statement following its Article IV consultation mission, IMF staff said bank lending to the private sector decelerated to just under 5 percent in the year to November […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nIMF Says Banking Sector Stable, but Credit Growth Is Slowing - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/imf-says-banking-sector-stable-but-credit-growth-is-slowing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"IMF Says Banking Sector Stable, but Credit Growth Is Slowing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The International Monetary Fund says Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s financial system remains stable and liquid, even as credit growth has slowed across banks and credit unions. 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