NPL ratio falls

The ratio of non-performing loans at Taiwanese banks fell to 7.48 percent at the end of June from 8.04 percent in the previous quarter, the nation's central bank said Thursday. At the end of June, domestic banks posted a combined NT$1.06 trillion (US$31.09 billion) in non-performing loans, against their total outstanding loans of NT$14.13 trillion, it said. The total number of NPLs at local banks fell 7.89 percent from the March quarter while total outstanding loans dropped 1.06 percent, it said. If combined with other problem loans, NT$1.53 trillion of bad loans are sitting on lenders' books, with the NPL ratio dropped to 10.83 percent at the end of June from 11.74 percent three months ago, it added.