“We’ve financed the real economy, that of SMEs, with nearly RON7 billion in new loans in 2014. Last year, all new production was on a par or even a little higher than loans to SMEs granted before the crisis, with 25,000 new loans,” Banca Transilvania deputy director Andrei Dudoiu said at a press conference Monday.
Loans for SMEs totaled RON10 billion last year.
The bank granted 23,818 loans in lei to SMEs, totaling RON6.096 billion and accounting for 90% of the total, and 1,334 loans in euros, amounting to the equivalent of RON729 million.
“In 2015 we want to maintain the growth trend, we want to increase our SME lending portfolio by 8%. (…) SMEs play a very important role in our strategy,” said bank general manager Omer Tetik.
The bank will focus on financing businesses in production, exports, agriculture, health care, IT&C, and EU-funded projects.
Banca Transilvania posted a net profit of RON448.1 million (EUR101 million) in 2014, up 19.5%, while its provisions rose 57%, to RON638 million and its assets grew 11.2%, to RON35.64 billion.
Net lending rose 5.3%, to RON17.55 billion, while deposits rose 16.4%, to nearly RON30.05 billion.
Banca Transilvania is Romania’s third largest bank by assets, with a market share of 9.7% at the end of 2014, when it agreed to take over Volksbank Romania.
Banca Transilvania’s largest shareholder is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development , with 14.33%. Other shareholders include board chairman Horia Ciorcila (5.1%) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank Group, with 5.36%.