Press release from the meeting of the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia on 13 January 2009

1. At today's meeting the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia was briefed on current economic and financial trends and economic relations with the rest of the world. 

2. The Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia discussed the monthly banking operations report. The capital adequacy of banks was also discussed in detail. The high lending activity of banks in the past leads to the increased probability of the realisation of credit risk during the current recession. In the future banks must pay particular attention to the question of how to raise additional capital. In the past reserves and retained earning represented an important source for increasing original own funds. In light of expectations of a drop in forecasted earnings, this source will become uncertain, and banks will be forced to find other available sources to increase capital. Banks will have to use the majority of earnings from the 2008 financial year to increase original own funds. Banks and savings banks will receive written recommendations relating to the measurement and impairment of financial assets and provisions for the purpose of making final entries and compiling their annual reports. 

3. At today's meeting the Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia adopted a regulation amending the regulation on the assessment of credit-risk losses of banks and savings banks for the purpose of ongoing and detailed monitoring of the extent and quality of banks' credit activity during the current financial crisis. 

4. The Governing Board of the Bank of Slovenia adopted a regulation on the issue of collector coins for sale and circulation to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the painter Zoran Mušič. Gold and silver collector coins will be available for sale as of 12 February 2009.