OREANDA-NEWS. March 28, 2011. VAB Bank reduced credit interest rate for companies to 18% in a standard offer, reported the press-centre of VAB Bank.

“As cheaper credit resource returns and credit activity builds up we offer our clients lower-interest credit products opening Ukrainian companies access to less expensive finance.  In these circumstances, loans for operating capital makeup remain the most popular ones.  Maturity of such a loan would depend on a company’s business cycle: typically we talk about 1 to 1.5 years,” Aleskei Salivon, VAB Bank deputy chairman and director of corporate banking, says.

Mr. Salivon explains that the bank is active on the credit market in both large enterprise and SME segments.  “As the borrowing appetite of the largest clients is satisfied competition between banks will be gradually shifting towards SMEs so it is quite logical that the banks’ focus on this segment will become very intensive.  In this situation major efforts will be spent for identification of prospective borrowers in the local markets.  In other words, all credit offerings will be maximally adjusted to the regional environment.  Increase in the SME share will make the banking system’s credit portfolio less dependent on large-size lending to a limited number of borrowers and will thus diversify the relevant risks,” A. Salivon emphasised.

In general, according to Aleksei Salivon, VAB Bank’s 2011 plans include an at least 10% increase in corporate segment lending.