Compared with previous rules regarding debt provisioning, the Measures introduces greater flexibility in making the minimum 1% of year-end balance of risk assets a guideline rather than a mandatory requirement. It changes the nature of general provisions allocated from one of pre-tax deduction to a post-tax distribution of profit. The Measures allows financial institutions to set aside two types of loan loss provisions: specific provisions and special provisions. Further requirements for other categories of the asset impairment provisions, for instance bad debt provisions and provisions for impaired long-term investments, are also in place.
October 31, 2005