Russian banks increase crediting of small and medium business

The conference to the theme “Activation of small and medium business crediting in the regions” has take place at the National Bank RB yesterday. It was organized by the Russian Regional Banks Association with the assistance of the Russian Development Bank, the National Bank RB and the Credit Organizations Association RB. The President of the Russian Regional Banks Association, Russian State Duma’s deputy Anatoly Aksakov and the President of JSC “Russian Development Bank” Sergey Krukov have taken part in the discussion.

In opinion of Anatoly Aksakov the situation in Russian economics stabilized by the end of 2010. The gross regional product grows and the crediting started restoring since March 2010.

“In 2010 the rise of the crediting volumes made up about 2% monthly. Now we have all grounds to believe these rates will remain on the same level in 2011 and by the end of the year we’ll reach the 24-25% rise” – he said.

The fact, that the time of expensive liability is over, plays far from the last role in restoration of crediting and the banks begin gradually lowering the credit interest rates. The number of unprofitable banks goes down too. Thus, at the beginning of the year 81 banks showed losses and now – only 55. By the end of the year not more than 30 banks will remain unprofitable.

The President of the Russian Development Bank Sergey Krukov acquainted the comers with the activity of the Russian Development Bank in sphere of assistance to small and medium business crediting. On January 1, 2011, the bank’s program work in 81 Russian regions and the contracts for the sum of more than 95 billion rubles are signed with almost 300 partners. The average crediting rate for small and medium business is equal to 14,3% but at that almost 40% of the credits, given out beginning from September 2010, have the interest rate at 12% per annum. In the future the Russian Development Bank intends to lower the interest rates to 11-12%, raising the crediting volumes up to 128,5 billion rubles. By 2015 the volume of small and medium business support on the programs, launched by the Russian Development Bank, should reach 250 billion rubles and the interest rates have to drop to 10%.