时事新闻:花旗将与联邦存款保险签署秘密协议

【英文原文】

Citi close to secret deal with regulator

摘要：花旗集团(Citigroup)与一家美国主要监管机构接近达成一项秘密协议，此举将强化对这家美国银行的监督，并迫使其解决财务、管理和治理方面存在的问题。

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.

【中文译文】

花旗集团(Citigroup)与一家美国主要监管机构接近达成一项秘密协议，此举将强化对这家美国银行的监督，并迫使其解决财务、管理和治理方面存在的问题。

知情人士表示，在监管机构联邦存款保险公司(FDIC)不断加压的情况下，双方近几周讨论了上述交易，可能很快就将敲定。

他们补充称，拟议中的协议将要求花旗加强董事会和企业治理、提高资产质量、控制支出，并向监管机构提供更多其资本和流动性方面的信息。

监管机构此举突显出对花旗财务健康状况、企业治理和以首席执行官潘伟迪(Vikram Pandit)为首的管理团队能力的担忧。

据悉，联邦存款保险公司对花旗出售“有毒”资产动作迟缓、业绩亏损和管理层缺乏商业银行业经验感到不安。

协议将强化联邦存款保险公司在与花旗打交道及要求获取详细财务信息时的地位。该机构在考虑是否把花旗列入“问题银行”名单时，需要参考相关信息。

业内高管表示，去年年底花旗与另一家监管机构签署了类似协议。作为最新纾困方案的一部分，花旗将向美国政府交出34%的股份。

花旗及其主要监管机构——美国货币监理署(Office of the Comptroller of the Currency)、美联储(Federal Reserve)和联邦储蓄保险公司——均拒绝置评。

监管机构与银行管理层和董事会之间签署的协议不会公诸于众，以免引发投资者担忧。

他们可以采用“谅解备忘录”或银行向有关部门签署“承诺书”的形式。这些形式没有正式的强制措施那么严肃。

【词汇讲解】

1. managerial adj. 经理的；管理上的

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

2. finalised 定下来

The finalised plan will be implemented as a commitment by the council to further improving its library services to the public.
经最后作实的计划将于未来数年内执行，这是临时市政局为进一步改善公共图书馆服务而承诺的工作。

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. 让给, 割让; 放弃

A third of the territory was ceded to France.
领土的三分之一割让给了法国

5. enforcement action 申请强制执行判决的诉讼

Enforcement action was stepped up and the influx subsided in May 1997.
当局于是加强执法行动，而大批儿童涌入本港的情况也于一九九七年五月得以遏止。

【词组学习】

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.
监管机构此举突显出对花旗财务健康状况、企业治理和以首席执行官潘伟迪(Vikram Pandit)为首的管理团队能力的担忧。

concern over 表示“使(自己)关心…… ”，例如：

She is always concerning herself over him.
她一直在关心他。