X-efficiency, scale economies, Technological Progress and Competition of Pakistani’s banks

This study aims at investigating empirically the x-efficiency, scale economies, and technologicalprogress of commercial banks operating in Pakistan. As banking sector efficiency is consider as a precondition for macroeconomic stability, monetary policy execution, and economic growth.We also make efficiency comparisons between the domestic and foreign banks and big banks.Our results indicate that the domestic banks operating in Pakistan are relatively less efficient than their foreign counterparts. The scale economies for small banks, especially foreign banks are higher. Results show also that market share of big five banks are declining over the period but average interest spread shows fluctuations. The main conclusions that can be drawn from these results are that mergers are more likely to take place, especially in small banks. If the mergers do take place between small domestic banks and foreign banks, these will reduce cost due to scale economies as well as x-efficiency (because foreign banks are x-efficient relative to small domestic banks). Even if mergers do take place between small and big banks, cost will reduce with out conferring any monopolistic power to these banks. This will also help in stability of the financial sector, which an important concern of the State Bank of Pakistan SBP). So the best policy option for SBP is to encourage mergers, while keeping a check on interest spread, so that the benefits from reduction in cost due mergers are passed on to depositors and borrowers.