THE effects of the global economic crisis on banking are starting to be seen in national banking. The drop in public purchasing power has resulted in a weakening of the wheels of industry. In addition, the ability of many companies to repay their debts has also been reduced. This is reflected by the balance sheets of banks in the first quarter of this year. The ratio of non-performing loans (NPLs) has increased from 3.8 percent at the end of 2008