中国银保监会办公厅下发通知，要求村镇银行坚守定位，提升服务乡村振兴战略的能力，紮实做好风险防控与处置。

通知称，支农支小是村镇银行的培育目标和市场定位。必须始终坚持扎根县域，不得跨经营区域办理授信、发放贷款、开展票据承兑和贴现。必须始终坚持专注信贷主业，当年新增可贷资金应主要用于当地信贷投放，贷款应主要投向县域农户、社区居民与小微企业。

银保监会还要求，紮实做好风险防控与处置工作。村镇银行要树立合规、审慎、稳健的经营意识，始终坚持“小额、分散”的风险防控理念。要加强内控合规管理，紧盯关键岗位、人员和业务环节。主发起行要切实履行监督职责，对所发起设立村镇银行的财务和风险条线的负责人实施定期轮岗交流。

通知还指出，对支农支小定位出现偏离的机构，属地监管部门要及时进行监管约谈和通报提示，督促限期整改；出现重大风险、定位严重偏离的机构，要按照相关法律法规，采取限制市场准入、暂停相关业务、责令调整高管人员等监管措施。

China banking regulator tightens rules for smaller banks in villages, towns

China’s banking and insurance regulator has tightened the operating rules for smaller banks in villages and towns as part of efforts to reduce financial risks caused by mismanagement in a weak area of the banking sector.

“A few banks in villages and townships have deviated from their original mission of serving rural and smaller firms,” China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said in a notice on Thursday.

“They need to focus back on the credit business in rural areas and enhance financial support for rural rejuvenation.”

Banks in villages and townships will be banned from cross-regional credit granting and bill financing, and the majority of new loans must be lent to local farmers, communities and smaller firms, the CBIRC said in its notice.

The regulator may suspend business at high-risk institutions and those that have deviated far from their original purpose, and limit their market access or reshuffle their management teams, according to the notice.