The impact of COVID-19 on bank stability: Do bank size and ownership matter?

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, bank stability became a priority for the Indonesian Financial Services Authority and the government. Economic activity is expected to be restored by muffling the shocks caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. This paper investigates the influence of COVID-19 on banking stability by differentiating bank core capital size and ownership. Using data from 108 commercial banks in Indonesia for the period March 2020 and March 2021, the paper analyzes data using fixed effects regression. The results show that COVID-19 has a detrimental and significant effect on bank stability in Indonesia. Regardless of the size and ownership of a bank’s core capital, it was found that no bank is immune for a year to the severe implications of COVID-19. This condition was experienced by both state banks and private banks, large and small. To assist in the absorption of COVID-19 shocks, this paper proposes policies for regulators that include stimulus packages and countercyclical roles in the banking system via government-owned banks.