Following the implementation of 25% salary cuts in the public sector system, bankers expect 10-20% of those who have loans to fall behind with their payments but they are not very worried about it, having already had the experience of restructuring the loans of private sector clients in 2009.

Some banks created special programmes for clients who are behind on their instalment payments as early as last year, while others prefer to negotiate with each client on a case by case basis. Whatever the approach, bankers say the most important thing is for the debtor to come and talk to the credit officer before accumulating too many late payments.

"We expect 10-20% of the affected clients to resort to debt restructuring. Estimates are difficult to make, but we rely on past experience. One factor to consider is the salary increase since taking out the loan until the present, so a salary cut could bring them to the original situation. Unless they have become further indebted in the meantime, they will be able to continue to repay the loan," says Mihai Rauta, consumer risk manager at Raiffeisen Bank.

Following the implementation of 25% salary cuts in the public sector system, bankers expect 10-20% of those who have loans to fall behind with their payments but they are not very worried about it, having already had the experience of restructuring the loans of private sector clients in 2009.

Some banks created special programmes for clients who are behind on their instalment payments as early as last year, while others prefer to negotiate with each client on a case by case basis. Whatever the approach, bankers say the most important thing is for the debtor to come and talk to the credit officer before accumulating too many late payments.

"We expect 10-20% of the affected clients to resort to debt restructuring. Estimates are difficult to make, but we r