Understanding the Performance of the Banking System in Times of Crisis: the Case of Commercial Banks in the CEMAC

Abstract

This article aims to explain the performance of the banking system in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) during a crisis period by exploring the average value of the bank profitability indicator. A comparative reading of this indicator between 1986 and 2020 shows that profitability during a crisis period is higher than during the normal period. Using an analysis of the model of banking performance with the method of generalized moments (GMM), the results show that the contradiction relating to the banking performance is explained by: 1)- the strong presence of the State in the capital of commercial banks in the CMEAC zone during the crisis; 2)- the decline in liquidity characteristic of crisis periods also explains this performance of the CEMAC banking sector. It is recommended that the monetary authorities ensure that their decisions are strictly applied by commercial banks in normal times as well as in times of crisis