“Compared to last year, we have a growth of 20% in number of loans to the SME sector. I find the number of loans is relevant because it shows how many entrepreneurs were able to get loans. On the retail segment, we have 35% growth,” Szekely said Thursday.
He added entrepreneur confidence is gradually improving and rising investments are a good sign.
“We’ve waited four years to raise the share of investment loans from 20%, sometimes 25%, to reach at least 40%, that’s the growth engine,” he said.
Banca Transilvania granted over 30,500 new loans in the first quarter, totaling RON1.89 billion, of which RON586 million in retail loans. Net lending increased 1.7% compared to the end of 2014, to RON17.81 billion, while gross lending rose 0.9%, to RON20.19 billion, as the bank shed non-performing loans with delays of more than a year amounting to RON299 million, all covered by provisions.
The bank posted a net profit of RON151.52 million (EUR34.4 million), up 46.5%, and its assets rose 1.2%, to RON36.06 billion. The lender made net provisions of RON142 million to cover non-performing loans.