ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 21. The National Bank
of Kazakhstan (NBK) plans to cap the maximum total debt of
individual borrowers at eight times their annual income, Trend reports via the
NBK.
This macroprudential measure will be enforced through the
Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio, with the regulatory limit set to
officially take effect on January 1, 2027. The relevant amendments
have been drafted under a National Bank Board resolution aimed at
updating financial stability metrics and calculation methods.
The DTI framework, which has been under a monitoring period
since its introduction in August 2024, measures a borrower's total
outstanding and prospective loans against their annual earnings to
assess repayment capacity before credit approval.
While a general ceiling will be established, the central bank
does not currently plan to set separate, differentiated DTI limits
for individual loan categories, citing signs of cooling in consumer
lending. Instead, the regulator will maintain broader monitoring
across key segments, including auto loans, mortgages, and unsecured
consumer loans.
However, the National Bank reserved the right to introduce
product-specific DTI caps or tighten the overall ratio in the
future if retail lending risks escalate. Meanwhile, the parameters
for the currently utilized Debt Service-to-Income (DSTI) ratio will
remain unchanged for the time being.
