The Bulgarian National Bank forecasts an increase in non-performing loans and has kept buffer for the vaults at 0.5 percent of their capital in the third quarter.

The central bank recalls that at the beginning of the crisis with Covid-19, it issued prescriptions to ensure the preservation of stability in the banking system. The capital buffer reflects the BNB's expectations for the course of the economy. The lower its size, the more positive the economic outlook.

For many years the buffer stood at zero, but in 2019 it began to rise gradually due to the global economic slow down.