Credit Risk Management System of Commercial Banks: An Analysis of the Process (Published)

Credit risk is the risk that a financial institution will incur losses because the financial position of a borrower has deteriorated to the point that the value of an asset (including off-balance-sheet assets) is reduced or extinguished. The purpose of this work is to expatiate strategies to mitigate challenges resulting from unpaid loans, which could be used further in understanding the components of credit risk management (CRM) system of commercial banks (CBs) in a less developed economy. This was accomplished through the use of both primary (interviews) and secondary (various relevant documents) information from CBs and key management officials dealing with credit management. The investigation proved that credit risk can be managed and minimized when formidable strategic approaches are implemented and adhered to. This implies that the strategy operated by a bank is an important consideration for a CRM system to be successful. Ghana, a less developed economy, provides an excellent case for studying how CBs operating in economies with less developed financial sector manage their credit risk. 

Keywords: Borrower, Commercial Banks, Credit Risk Management, Loan