每经热评︱银行业综合整治“内卷式”竞争 需走差异化可持续发展之路

Core Viewpoint - The banking industry is facing significant challenges due to "involution" competition, which has been exacerbated by a low interest rate environment and a lack of differentiation in products and services [1][3]. Group 1: Involution Competition in Banking - The Guangdong Banking Association has initiated a comprehensive rectification of "involution" competition, implementing a "1+3+N" system to address the issue [1]. - The "1" refers to a negative list for involution competition issued by regulatory authorities, "3" includes self-regulatory agreements and initiatives from the association, and "N" encompasses various self-regulatory measures across different business areas [1]. - Similar actions have been observed in other regions, such as the Ningxia Banking Association organizing discussions on the state of involution competition [1]. Group 2: Impact on Deposit and Loan Rates - On the deposit side, banks are struggling with a "cannot lower" interest rate situation, leading to practices like "high-interest deposits" and "buying indicators" to meet performance targets [2]. - Some banks are engaging in practices to artificially maintain higher effective interest rates, such as manual interest compensation and offering rates significantly above market levels [2]. - On the loan side, there is a notable trend of rapidly declining interest rates, with some banks offering loans at rates below the yield of government bonds, particularly for large enterprises [2]. Group 3: Consequences of Involution - The involution behaviors, while seemingly beneficial to consumers, are severely squeezing banks' profit margins and threatening the healthy development of the industry [3]. - There is an increased risk of regulatory violations as banks may relax risk assessments to gain market share, leading to higher bad debt risks and adverse selection [3]. - The distortion of market signals due to involution can also hinder macroeconomic regulation efforts [3]. Group 4: Recommendations for Sustainable Development - The banking industry needs to shift from "losing money for visibility" to "quality-driven survival," focusing on sustainable development paths [3]. - Banks should adjust their business structures based on their resource endowments and explore differentiated development strategies [3]. - Enhancing service capabilities instead of competing solely on interest rates can help create a multi-layered and diverse financial institution system [3]. - Banks should also explore potential customer needs and diversify income sources to strengthen their risk resilience [3]. - Internally, banks should establish reasonable incentive mechanisms and performance evaluation systems to reduce short-term, volume-driven behaviors [4].