NBU simplifiess lending to businesses and communities after Russian strikes

The National Bank of Ukraine has expanded banks' capacity to lend to producers, retailers, and local communities. The regulator has relaxed collateral requirements for loans to make financing more accessible to companies and utility enterprises, including those affected by Russian strikes.

NBU adopted a second package of measures in the wake of intensifying Russian attacks on manufacturing and warehouse facilities, as well as critical and social infrastructure. The new rules are intended to enable banks to more actively finance the recovery of enterprises and infrastructure projects of local communities.

Business revenue allowed as collateral

One of the main changes concerns companies that lack sufficient real estate, equipment, or other fixed assets for a proper collateral.

Now banks will be able to consider, as acceptable collateral, property rights to money that an enterprise is due to receive for already shipped goods, completed works, or rendered services.

Effectively, this refers to future revenue from already performed contracts. For such collateral, NBU has set a liquidity coefficient at 0.3. This will allow part of the corresponding receivables to be counted when assessing credit risk coverage.

The National Bank expects that this change will primarily expand lending opportunities for producers and retailers that may have significant turnover and stable revenue but lack traditional property to pledge to the bank.

Communities will find it easier to finance infrastructure projects

A separate decision concerns loans backed by local self-government guarantees. NBU has raised the liquidity coefficient for collateral in the form of unconditional and irrevocable local guarantees of city and regional councils to 0.8.

As a result, banks will be able to take such guarantees into account to a greater extent when assessing credit risk. The regulator expects that this decision will increase the ability of municipal and other enterprises to raise funds for infrastructure projects with the support of local authorities.

This is especially relevant for the restoration and support of critical facilities damaged as a result of Russian attacks.

NBU has changed rules for working with guarantees

In addition, the National Bank has introduced unified approaches to accounting for portfolio guarantees in credit risk mitigation. Changes have been made to the rules for determining banks' minimum exposure at default weighted by credit risk.

Also, the regulator extended test periods for banks for certain requirements related to credit risk calculation and the standard for the maximum amount of significant exposure. According to NBU estimates, the package will give banks more flexibility while maintaining requirements for the quality of risk assessment.

This is already the second package of easing

The new measures continue the changes that NBU introduced in early August. Then the regulator facilitated debt restructuring for enterprises facing financial difficulties due to the war.

In particular, banks were allowed not to recognize borrower default in case of short-term debt restructuring for up to one year, provided established conditions are met. The relaxation applies to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs whose debts are restructured between July 1, 2026, and September 1, 2027.

For the agricultural sector, NBU also improved conditions for accounting agricultural products as collateral. Their liquidity coefficient was raised from 0.4 to 0.75, and the maximum loan term for which such products can be counted as collateral was increased from 12 to 18 months.

NBU Chairman Andriy Pyshnyy called the second package a continuation of support measures for businesses affected by Russian attacks. According to him, the regulator intends to continue developing solutions to support the economy in conjunction with the banking sector.

The changes are approved by NBU Board resolutions No. 98 and No. 99 dated September 3, 2026. They come into force on September 5.

Based on materials: Ministry of Finance, Ukrinform