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ProCredit Bank Serbia receives €15 million boost
Entrepreneurs, farmers will benefit from more access to finance
ProCredit Bank Serbia is receiving a €15 million loan from the EBRD to help
meet the growing needs of local entrepreneurs and farmers in Serbia and
Montenegro. The loan, which is being syndicated to Cordiant - IFPT 2004 (€3.5
million), ASN-Novib Fund (€3 million) and ING Wholesale Banking (€2.5million),
is the first loan to be syndicated to a microfinance institution in Serbia.
PCB Serbia is the only commercial bank in Serbia focused entirely on lending
to micro and small enterprises, and already supports more than 27,000
entrepreneurs. New and existing clients can receive loans through any of
ProCredit’s 28 branches in Belgrade, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Pirot, Novi Pazar,
Vranje, Becej, Prjepolije, Nis and Subotica.
Chikako Kuno, Director of the EBRD’s Group for Small Business, said micro and
small businesses are critical for economic development and for increasing
employment opportunities, yet they often lack access to finance. This latest
loan will help overcome this hurdle. The role entrepreneurs play in promoting
the transition towards a market economy cannot be under-estimated, and this is
why we pay so much attention to this sector, she added.
Established in 2001, PCB Serbia is owned by the EBRD, Commerzbank AG,
Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)
and ProCredit Holding AG. It received technical assistance funds from the US
Government via the US/EBRD SME Financing Facility, and from FMO and KfW for
institution building and training loan officers. It was the first bank in the
country to receive a Fitch Rating (B/B+).
Doerte Weidig, General Manager of ProCredit Bank, said: “This loan will help
address the prevailing high demand for micro and small business and
agricultural loans. Moreover, the participation of commercial partners like
Cordiant, ING Wholesale Bank and ASN-Novib Fund proves that PCB Serbia has
been successful in diversifying its refinancing sources as well as in reducing
its reliance on funding from international financial institutions.”
The bank provides micro loans for up to €10,000 with a maturity of up to two
years, while small loans reach up to €250,000 with a maturity of up to five
years. All loans are provided on a commercial basis. Through its leasing
subsidiary, it is also becoming a leader in agricultural lending in the
region. It disburses farmer’s loans (up to €10,000 for a maximum three-year
maturity) for the acquisition of seeds, fertilizers and animals as well as
loans for the rural sector (up to €50,000 for a maximum five-year maturity)
for purchasing agricultural equipment, machinery and land.
So far, roughly a third of loans disbursed in 2005 have been granted to
entrepreneurs operating in the agricultural sector. It is particularly in this
sector where high demand for micro and small loans has not yet been met. PCB
Serbia plans to expand its network and train staff to reach this untapped
market segment. The loan to PCB will foster its role in agricultural lending
and hence diversify products available to micro and small businesses in the
Serbian financial sector.
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