Investigating the Assets Quality in Banking System in Iran with Emphasis on Liquidity and Non-Performing Loans Reserve Buffers

In this research, the factors affecting assets quality in banking system of Iran and some implications for creating appropriate buffers of liquidity and non-performing loans in bank assets management has been investigated. In order to that, statistical data related to macroeconomic variables and financial statements of 30 banks from 2006 to 2016 have been used in the framework of a dynamic panel specification. The results indicate that there is a significant relationship between inflation rate, domestic gross production growth rate, bank share of total revenues, market Structure and bank liquidity with asset quality, but the growth rate of facilities and special and general reserves for non-performing loans have no significant effect on asset quality. Thus, the framework and the amount of special and general reserves for non-performing loans (unlike the liquidity buffer) failed to provide the necessary buffer to improve the quality of bank assets; so, one of the most important reasons for the persistent aggravation and lack of management of the volume of non-performing loans in banking system is dysfunctional and non-observance of the law in the maintenance of special and general reserves. The main requirement for correcting these conditions is to closely monitor the volume of reserves before refinancing and double overdraft from the central bank and other banks and credit institutions.