BANKING

Taxpayers Could Be Asked to Pay More for S&L; Cleanup: The Clinton Administration raised the possibility but held off endorsing the idea. Billions of dollars would be involved. The Treasury Department had been expected to present its recommendation to the House Banking financial institutions subcommittee for resolving a severe shortfall in the Savings Assn. Insurance Fund. Instead, Assistant Treasury Secretary Richard S. Carnell reviewed the options, warned that inaction risks a new thrift crisis and said that “any solution should minimize the costs to the taxpayers.” After June 30, the taxpayer-financed Resolution Trust Corp. will not be responsible for protecting deposits in failed S&Ls.; The insurance fund, financed by industry-paid premiums, will take over. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairwoman Ricki Tigert Helfer, whose agency oversees the insurance fund, said it has only $1.9 billion of the $8.7 billion it needs.