BB has already absorbed R$ 400 million in doubtful debts.

247 – Not everything is rosy in Banco do Brasil's marketing offensive to position itself at the forefront of the war against high interest rates. Within the institution, there is already concern about the encouragement given to absorbing clients with overdue payments on loans from other institutions, at rates lower than those charged by competitors. This incentive, promoted by various government agents, has already led BB to absorb no less than R$ 400 million in new loans in recent days – the vast majority of them from new clients who have demonstrated difficulty in paying the installments agreed upon with their original banks.

The government has already announced its intention to develop an online mechanism for migrating clients with debts from other institutions. They would automatically receive the necessary amount from Banco do Brasil (BB) to settle their previous debt and, within the official institution, take out a new loan at lower rates. The concern among technicians is that this strategy will not be curbed, which could bring a series of "Trojan horses" into BB, represented by doubtful clients. With first-quarter results falling short of market expectations, the bank is reportedly deepening this policy, creating a new portfolio of doubtful loans whose size cannot yet be fully assessed, but which has already started large.

This week, the release of the Central Bank's ranking of interest rates charged by all financial institutions, across various credit modalities, was received within Banco do Brasil as a cold shower on its efforts to project an image of a champion in the fight against interest rates. The bank, after all, only reached 32nd position in the overall ranking of 91 institutions – losing to Caixa Econômica Federal (CEF) and also to private competitors in specific categories. In personal loans, for example, BB languished in 34th place, twenty positions behind CEF. In overdraft facilities, it came in 20th, but this time even further behind Caixa, which occupied thirteen positions ahead. Check out the complete ranking. clicking here.

In the search for a financial management policy that serves the government's interests, BB directors were surprised yesterday by a blunder in front of 24,5 million customers. For much of Thursday the 10th, the electronic system for inquiries and withdrawals from savings accounts malfunctioned, preventing transactions from being carried out. The system only returned to operation after the end of banking hours, leaving the management of thousands of disruptions that occurred yesterday to this Friday the 11th.

The problem arose when Banco do Brasil (BB) announced a round of cuts in investment fund management fees, overshadowing the intended effect of the measures. Market analysts believe that, due to recent political difficulties directly with President Dilma Rousseff – she was surprised by the leak of confidential data from former Vice-President Alan Toledo and irritated by the lack of dialogue between President Aldemir Bendine and one of the institution's largest shareholders, Previ, headed by Ricardo Flores – the BB's management may be playing to the gallery with its interest rate reduction moves rather than taking sustained action that would indeed comply with official guidelines without compromising the institution's security.