Banks diversify income sources to reduce dependence on credit

Bank tellers and customers in Hà Nội. Revenue from services contributes significantly to the positive business results of many banks in Q1 2022. — Photo baotintuc.vn

HÀ NỘI — Banks have been promoting a target of diversifying income sources to reduce dependence on credit.  

The financial statements in Q1 2022 of many banks published recently showed that besides the rapid growth of credit, revenue from services contributed significantly to the banks’ positive business results in the period.

Typically, in Q1 2022, the Commercial Joint Stock Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) gained VNĐ2.58 trillion of net profit from services and VNĐ1.52 trillion of net profit from foreign exchange trading.

For Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) and Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Sacombank), the service revenue in Q1 2022 reached VNĐ1.79 trillion and VNĐ1.53 trillion, up 35 per cent and 83 per cent compared to the same period of last year, respectively.

Many other private joint-stock banks such as Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VPBank), HCM City Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDBank), Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB), Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB), Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB), Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB) and Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) also recorded many positive results from service activities in Q1 2022.

MB, for example, saw an increase of 4.8 per cent to nearly VNĐ1.12 trillion in the profit from services thanks to a large contribution from bancassurance channel. The bank’s profit from foreign exchange trading grew by 98 per cent to VNĐ467 billion.

Meanwhile, MSB also achieved more than VNĐ335 billion of net profit from service activities in Q1 2022, up nearly 175 per cent over the same period of 2021, mainly thanks to the segments of credit cards, insurance services and payment activities.

For VIB, the non-interest income was VNĐ650 billion, contributing 16 per cent to the bank’s total operating income.

Among the service activities of banks, bancassurance channels accounted for a fairly large proportion in Q1 2022 and contributed considerably to the service revenue structure of many banks. The income is expected to further increase next time.

Vice-chairman of Lien Viet Post Commercial Joint Stock Bank (LienVietPostBank) Phạm Doãn Sơn said the bank is negotiating with its partners about bancassurance as the insurance contract between the bank and Dai-ichi Life expires in May 2022.

Banking expert Nguyễn Trí Hiếu told Việt Nam News that diversifying revenue sources is one of the targets that many banks have focused on for the past few years, especially in the past two years when the traditional source of revenue from credit activities has slowed and posed higher risks due to the pandemic.

“Increasing revenue from services has helped banks operate more healthily and sustainable, and minimise risks. The change will also contribute to gradually realising targets set out in the development strategy of the banking industry,” Hiếu said. — VNS