Morocco
The Moroccan banking system is largely privatized. It is characterized by a high concentration. In 2005, the share of 3 largest banks by assets (Attijariwafa Bank, Credit Populaire of Morocco (CPM) and Moroccan Bank of External Trade (BMCE)) on a total of 16 banks is 64.1%. These banks controlled 66.8% of the deposit market and 54.1% of the credit market.
In 2006, besides the 32 financial companies and 6 offshore banks, the banking system in Morocco is composed of 16 banks (Arab Bank Plc, Attijariwafa Bank, Bank Al-Amal, Crédit Populaire du Maroc (CPM)
Algeria
The financial sector in Algeria is trying to deregulate from 1998. But it is still dominated by public banks, which represent 91.4% of total bank assets in the sector. Until June 2006, the Algerian banking system consisted of 19 banks and 7 financial institutions. The banking system is composed of :
– 7 state-owned banks, Banques Extérieure d’Algérie (BEA), Banque Nationale d’Algérie (BNA), Crédit Populaire d’Algérie (CPA), Banque de Développement Local (BDL), Banque de l’agriculture et du développement rural (BADR), Banque algérienne de développement (BAD), Caisse Nationale d’Epargne et de Prévoyance (CNEP);
– A mutual bank (Caisse Nationale de Mutualité Agricole (CNMA));
– 11 foreign private banks, CitiBank, Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), Natexis Algérie, Société Générale Algérie (SG Algérie), Arab Bank PLC Algérie, BNPParibas El Djazaïr, Trust Bank Algeria, Housing Bank for Trade & Finance-Algeria, Algeria Gulf Bank, Calyon Algérie (filiale du Crédit agricole) Al Salam Bank and Al Baraka-Algérie;
– 7 financial institutions including three privately owned by Algerians (Sofinance, Société de refinancement hypothécaire (SRH), Salem (société de crédit bail), Financière algéro-européenne de partenariat (Finalep), Arab Leasing Corporation (ALC), Cetelem France et Maghreb Leasing Algérie)
Tunisia
There are 20 banks with 5 national banks and 8 offshore banks.
State banks are Banque Nationale Agricole (BNA), Société Tunisienne des Banques (STB), Banque de l’Habitat (BH), Banque Tunisienne de Solidarité (BTS), Banque des Financement des Petites et Moyenne Entreprises (BFPME).
Private banks include Attijari bank, Banque Internationale Arabe de Tunisie (BIAT), Union Bancaire pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (UBCI), Union Internationale des Banques (UIB), Banque de Tunisie (BT), Arab Tunisian Bank (ATB), Amen Banque (AB), Arab banking Corporation (ABC), Tunsian Qatari Bank (TQB), Banque Tuniso-Koweitienne (BTK), Banque de Tunisie et des Emirates (BTE), Citibank, Banque Tuniso-Libyenne (BTL), STUSID BANK, Banque Franco-Tunisienne (BFT).
Commercial banks are the dominant player. The first five banks in terms of assets are: STB, BNA, BIAT, BH and Attijari bank. They control more than 50% market share of deposits and loans, and nearly 45% of net banking sector. The biggest problem which the Tunisian banks face is that of disputed claims (17.9% for private banks, 24.1% for state banks as the international standard is 6% - source IMF).
Among the regulatory initiatives aimed at finding the optimal size, we can cite the example of the Tunisian Law of July 10, 2001. It abandons the distinction between deposit banks, development banks, offshore banks and investment banks and adopts the concept of “universal bank”. This law opens the way for the consolidation and diversification by seeking economies of variety. This was the case in 2000 with the merger STB, BDET and the BNDT.
Source: Adapted from author.
