An analysis of loan loss provisioning behaviour in Vietnamese banking

This paper investigates loan loss provisioning (LLP) behaviour by Vietnamese banks during the period 2006-2012. We test the capital, income-smoothing and cyclical management hypotheses and examine whether the inclusion of X-efficiencies and/or risk control variables influences provisioning behaviour. When the X-efficiency estimates are incorporated into the models, Vietnamese banks do not exhibit counter-cyclical or capital management manipulation by managers, but counter cyclical income smoothing. Yet, the inclusion of risk control variables in X-efficiency scores (either equity or reserves for impaired loans) supports the addition of capital management hypotheses.