時事新聞:花旗將與聯邦存款保險簽署祕密協議

【英文原文】

Citi close to secret deal with regulator

摘要：花旗集團(Citigroup)與一家美國主要監管機構接近達成一項祕密協議，此舉將強化對這家美國銀行的監督，並迫使其解決財務、管理和治理方面存在的問題。

Citigroup is close to a secret agreement with one of its main regulators that will increase scrutiny of the US bank and force it to fix financial, managerial and governance issues.

People close to the situation said the deal had been discussed in recent weeks amid increased pressure on Citi from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the regulator, and could be finalised soon.

The proposed agreement requires that Citi, among other things, strengthen its board and governance, improves asset quality, manages expenses and provides more information to regulators on its capital and liquidity, these people added.

The regulator's action highlights concerns over Citi's financial health, governance and the strength of its management team, led by Vikram Pandit, chief executive.

The FDIC is known to be frustrated at Citi for the slow pace of “toxic” assets sales, its losses and the lack of commercial banking experience at the top.

An agreement would strengthen the FDIC's position in its dealings with Citi and its demands for detailed financial information as it deliberates whether to include the company on its list of “problem banks”.

Citi, which is about to cede a 34 per cent stake to the US government as part of its latest rescue, struck a similar agreement with another regulator late last year, industry executives say.

The bank and its main regulators – the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC – declined to comment.

Agreements between regulators and a bank's management and board are not made public to avoid stoking investors' fears.

They can take the form of a “memorandum of understanding” or a “commitment letter” from the bank to the authorities and are less serious than formal enforcement actions.

【中文譯文】

花旗集團(Citigroup)與一家美國主要監管機構接近達成一項祕密協議，此舉將強化對這家美國銀行的監督，並迫使其解決財務、管理和治理方面存在的問題。

知情人士表示，在監管機構聯邦存款保險公司(FDIC)不斷加壓的情況下，雙方近幾周討論了上述交易，可能很快就將敲定。

他們補充稱，擬議中的協議將要求花旗加強董事會和企業治理、提高資產質量、控制支出，並向監管機構提供更多其資本和流動性方面的信息。

監管機構此舉突顯出對花旗財務健康狀況、企業治理和以首席執行官潘偉迪(Vikram Pandit)爲首的管理團隊能力的擔憂。

據悉，聯邦存款保險公司對花旗出售“有毒”資產動作遲緩、業績虧損和管理層缺乏商業銀行業經驗感到不安。

協議將強化聯邦存款保險公司在與花旗打交道及要求獲取詳細財務信息時的地位。該機構在考慮是否把花旗列入“問題銀行”名單時，需要參考相關信息。

業內高管表示，去年年底花旗與另一家監管機構簽署了類似協議。作爲最新紓困方案的一部分，花旗將向美國政府交出34%的股份。

花旗及其主要監管機構——美國貨幣監理署(Office of the Comptroller of the Currency)、美聯儲(Federal Reserve)和聯邦儲蓄保險公司——均拒絕置評。

監管機構與銀行管理層和董事會之間簽署的協議不會公諸於衆，以免引發投資者擔憂。

他們可以採用“諒解備忘錄”或銀行向有關部門簽署“承諾書”的形式。這些形式沒有正式的強制措施那麼嚴肅。

【詞彙講解】

1. managerial adj. 經理的；管理上的

She was promoted into some kind of managerial job.
她被提拔去做某種管理工作。

2. finalised 定下來

The finalised plan will be implemented as a commitment by the council to further improving its library services to the public.
經最後作實的計劃將於未來數年內執行，這是臨時市政局爲進一步改善公共圖書館服務而承諾的工作。

3. toxic adj. 有毒的；因中毒引起的

When spilled into the sea, oil can be toxic to marine plants and animals.
石油溢入海洋可能危害海洋生物

4. cede vt. 讓給, 割讓; 放棄

A third of the territory was ceded to France.
領土的三分之一割讓給了法國

5. enforcement action 申請強制執行判決的訴訟

Enforcement action was stepped up and the influx subsided in May 1997.
當局於是加強執法行動，而大批兒童涌入本港的情況也於一九九七年五月得以遏止。

【詞組學習】

The regulator's action highlights concerns over Citi's financial health, governance and the strength of its management team, led by Vikram Pandit, chief executive.
監管機構此舉突顯出對花旗財務健康狀況、企業治理和以首席執行官潘偉迪(Vikram Pandit)爲首的管理團隊能力的擔憂。

concern over 表示“使(自己)關心…… ”，例如：

She is always concerning herself over him.
她一直在關心他。