BCR, controlled by Austrian Erste group, registered a 60 percent year-on-year drop in the number of new contracted loans in the first quarter of 2009, due to restrictions on loans imposed by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) last fall, according to company officials. “The market has the level registered in 2006, in terms of volume, only that granted loans are much safer now,” BCR’s Executive Vice President, Martin Skopek, said yesterday. He added that the lender will continue expansion with a further 35 branches this year.
The number of employees is to amount to some 8,700. “We planned to open 50 units, but due to the current situation, we had to do a more careful selection and we forewent 15 units,” according to the BCR official. Speaking of the loans to be restructured, Skoper said: “We must come up with solutions for our clients, so that we do not resort to foreclosures. We plan to raise the volume of loans in the coming two-three months, and also provide better possibilities for our clients,” BCR’s Executive Vice President added. The official said that the bank is constantly monitoring the situation of its clients. According to data provided by BCR, the balance of loans before provisions rose 3.3 percent in the first three months compared to the end of 2008, to 11.568 bln.
In the first quarter, the engine of lending was the corporate segment, which increased 6.5 percent, while mortgages rose 5.7 percent since the beginning of this year. Skopek added that, in spite of the significant decline in the first quarter, the bank is narrowing the gap compared to last year, and expects a better evolution in the coming months.
