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A ‘slippery slope’ to regulate banks

The Central Bank of the Bahamas.

The Central Bank of the Bahamas.

Bowe: Moving toward a ‘communist state’ if we control bank fees

By EARYEL BOWLEG 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

GOWON Bowe, the chairman of the Clearing Banks Association, said the country is “moving towards a communist state” when discussing regulating bank fees and services, calling this a “very slippery slope”.

His comment came after Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell urged the Central Bank to take a more proactive approach to regulating commercial bank fees.

Although local banks have generally made substantial profits in recent years, fees continue to escalate, frustrating residents.

Mr Mitchell highlighted the work of the Central Bank of Barbados as an example of a successful intervention to regulate fees.

In January, the Central Bank of Barbados mandated no fees for electronic transactions, including Automated Clearing House (ACH) and real-time payments (RTP) transfers. The bank also requires all commercial banks to offer at least one savings account free from fees or charges. Guidelines introduced in July require banks and finance companies to seek a non-objection from the Central Bank at least 60 days before implementing or increasing fees. Additionally, there are to be no fees for electronic transfers and no cash management fees for transactions under $10,000 per day.

Mr Bowe cautioned against “cherry-picking” aspects of Barbados’ regulatory regime, saying they may not paint the full picture.

“If there were a deep analysis performed, they would appreciate that this was to provide, if you will, a minimum, but it did not put any cap on other fees,” he said. “So, with the argument that transfer fees are now zero, but ATM fees are higher, in-person fees are higher.

“We have to bear in mind that everything is not ceteris paribus, the Latin phrase meaning ‘all other things being equal’. If we impose and fix one particular item, it is naive and actually ignorant to believe that all other things will remain the same.”

Mr Bowe, who is also president of Fidelity Bank, noted that the government had increased costs in certain areas, which the public criticised.

“What,” he asked, “has been the government’s response? We need to cover our costs, right? So is it not a bit hypocritical for a government to say it must regulate a private enterprise that is offering a service we would like to exist? Do you want people walking around with all their money under their mattresses and in their pockets? Is that a stable financial system?”

He argued that bank fees are essential to meet service needs and stressed the importance of consumer education.

"The bank comprises management, shareholders, depositors, and borrowers. While the criticism that banks might be exploiting customers is valid, determining this requires educating consumers on how to evaluate and assess the reasonableness of fees.”

“The reality is you can evaluate whether the bank you use is charging you a fee that you believe is reasonable relative to the service they provide and the costs they incur by making that critical analysis.

“When we get into this debate about mandating, regulating, or legislating the value of services for private enterprise, we are moving towards a communist state. We are saying that the government is a free market enterprise, and we have to be very careful because that’s a very, very slippery slope.”

Comments

hrysippus 4 months, 1 week ago

We live in a time when hyperbole is the normal way to express your point of view; while not disputing Mr. Bowe's assertions with regards to unintended consequences of government imposed regulations on the Private Banking sector it should be noted that in a pure communist state all banks are owned by the State and there is no Private Banking sector. I do not think anyone is advocating this.

ThisIsOurs 4 months, 1 week ago

Barbados is also not a communist state.

Noone can know for certain unless they have access to the internal data, but I get the distinct impression that prices are being driven up by a demand from shareholders to make a given return on investment and not really a ~direct response to cost itself, meaning while costs may have increased, the business is still making a decent profit but the shareholders want more profit. Some also got used to the exorbitant profits they made during COVID and theres a demand to maintain that... but again you cant "know"

empathy 4 months, 1 week ago

All of the above stated by Mr. Bowe is ‘fine’ regarding negative effects from government intervention in private businesses in a capitalist society, as long as these commercial banks are not colluding on their pricing. The public only gets a fair shake when they are free to choose and companies determine pricing based on an unbiased market.

ThisIsOurs 4 months, 1 week ago

The problem is, they dont have to collude in the true sense. One bank just has to increase fees and the other two say, oh, we could increase fees too!

M0J0 4 months, 1 week ago

Stop robbing the people simple. Find other ways to fund the other expenses account for your misc. income and money to be spent on foolery.

becks 4 months, 1 week ago

Gowon Bowe lost any and all credibilityas soon as he rolled out that tired old “….communist state” trope. Plus he certainly isn’t an unbiased party. As for bank fees…..considering the onerous hoops the banks make us jump through and the gigantic profits they make annually their fees are extortionate. Especially the fees for actually depositing money that they then get to use to increase their profits and obscene executivesalaries.

IAmOne 4 months, 1 week ago

‘Moving towards a communist state’ by asking the banks not to continue to fleece Bahamians even more than they do now with their ever increasing fees? And expecting the government to DO ITS JOB and offer financial protection to its citizens? What a joke!

Even the Capitalist Centre of the Globe -our good neighbours to the North- has a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that steps in from time to time to cap the most predatory bank fees. And, as expected, the big banker boys are kicking and screaming (and suing) to keep preying on the most vulnerable. Because that’s who ultimately loses when dumb ‘$1 declined transaction fees’ and ungodly overdraft fees are implemented unchecked with no cap.

Tell ya what, let’s meet in the middle: Every time a transaction declines for insufficient funds you charge me a $1. And every time I try to access MY MONEY online but can’t because your ‘system is down’ you PAY ME a $1. Fair?

The government could write that law tomorrow. But I wonder, is this inaccurate, hyperbolic, and quite frankly disappointing rant from Mr Bowe enough to hold ‘naive and actually ignorant’ Mitchell and the Davis administration at bay? I guess we shall see.

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