The owners of companies should bear criminal liability for intentional driving into bankruptcy of the borrowing company, the Economic Truth reports.

The bankers discussed such initiative at the round table: “Large Business Lending: Reloaded”, Fin Club reports.

The market participants explain their idea, referring to the fact that now the driving to bankruptcy of the bank threatens with criminal liability for its owners.

According to the relevant law, which came into force last spring, the punishment can be the imprisonment for up to five years with simultaneous fine in the amount of 85-170 thousand hryvnias and deprivation of the right to occupy the relevant positions for up to three years.

“It would be logical to introduce the same regulation for the owners of borrowing companies”, said Tatiana Tomash, Head of Corporate Lending, Alfa-Bank.

In addition, she suggests introducing the mandatory personal surety of owners when the company obtains the loan. “If such regulation were introduced earlier, it would eliminate many problems for banks”, Tomash suggests.

Meanwhile, Alexei Stupak, the Head of Corporate Business Development Department, Credit Agricole Bank, considers that the personal surety should not be mandatory.

“Each bank determines itself the depth of risk. There are clients, who timely and fully fulfill their obligations during the lengthy period, and this regulation is not applicable to them. The main thing for the bank is the stable business model of the borrower’s business, which is the source of loan repayment”, Stupak explains.