OREANDA-NEWS. Priorbank JSC held its General Shareholders' Meeting at the Business Centre Victoria. The key topics on the agenda were:

- The bank's business development highlights in 2012: growth of loans to customers, expanding the Bank's liabilities, growth of capital. Priorbank secured profitable performance and achieved all the planned development targets in 2012.

- An active lending support to Corporate Customers segment: the bank provided working capital loans, financed investments, export-oriented projects and import-substituting programmes of major customers, as well as crude oil supplies to the Republic of Belarus.

- An effective support to small- and medium-sized enterprises. Priorities have been focused on the lending volume expansion, targeted marketing communications promoting opening of current accounts and cash management services, procedures simplification and SMEs servicing quality improvement.

- Positive results were achieved in business with Private Individuals. A high PI's deposits growth rate was provided. Lending in national currency dynamically developed in 2012.

The last year was a year of relative financial stability in the country and successful for Priorbank JSC.

The bank’s assets grew by 17% to 14,947 billion BYR. Loans to customers increased by 16%, funds owed to customers grew by 26%. The bank's capital increased by 37% to 2,290 billion BYR.

Corporate Banking remains a key business focus of the bank. The bank provided working capital loans, financed investments, export-oriented projects and import-substituting programmes of major customers, as well as crude oil supplies to the Republic of Belarus.

The continuous development of the Customer Relationship Management system, improvement and creation of new cash management services packages and salary payroll services, growth of the bank's products cross-selling and customers' cash flow management system development (Cash Pooling) enabled to increase the funds raised from Corporate Clients by 19%.

The bank successfully developed its cooperation with SMEs last year. Priorities were focused on lending and customers' business development by providing new services, procedures simplification and servicing quality improvement.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 21 May 2009, № 255 "On some measures of state support to small business", the bank concluded 21 agreements. The total amount of loans disbursed under the privileged conditions out of the funds provided by local Executive Committees amounted to 15.8 billion BYR. Within the loan facility of the international financial institution – FMO (Netherlands) small-sized business customers received the loans to the amount of USD 4.4 million.

Priorbank in cooperation with the Bank's Customers Association and JLLC Raiffeisen Leasing Belarus implemented the programme for the carriers “Pool 2012” on purchasing of vehicles from manufacturers at discounted prices. Furthermore, marketing campaigns focusing on providing specific proposals of cash management services for existing and new SME customers were launched. The bank participated in the exhibition with the participation of small-sized businesses. As a result, loans to SME customers increased by 31%, this segment's liabilities increased by 38%.

The retail business with private individuals was also dynamically developed in 2012. Due to the wide product range, competitive rates, regular marketing communication campaigns during the year the PIs' loan portfolio in national currency grew by 143 billion BYR or 11%.

Priorbank JSC also actively raised PIs's funds. Deposits in national currency increased by 610 billion BYR or 2.3 times. Deposits in foreign currency grew by an equivalent of 62 million EUR or 26%.

A special attention was paid to the salary payroll and pension programmes development. The number of active pension accounts exceeded 110,000. Over 20,000 loans were sold to PIs through the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Priorbank is a leader on the market of distant service for PIs. The number of customers connected to the distant banking system reached 140,000. The monthly turnover of payments exceeded an equivalent of 13 million EUR by the end of the year.

In 2012 the bank increased the number of ATMs and POS terminals. The volume of cashless settlements by bank plastic cards grew by 59%.

Sales and operations administration through electronic channels further developed. The number of the electronic payment system “Client-Bank” subscribers grew to 20, 700 customers. The share of the electronic documents received by the bank exceeded 96%.

Priorbank JSC continued optimization and standardization of its Banking Services Centres and remote Points of Sales. Thus in 2012 the bank opened new POSs in Borisov, Orsha, Baranovichi, Grodno. As of 1 January 2013 the bank's branch network consisted of 98 POSs.

“Performing the tasks set by the General Shareholders’ Meeting, Priorbank’s strategy in the year under report was targeted at further developing of the co-operation with our customers, optimization of business processes, improvement of the Bank’s services quality and their accessibility to the customers. The essence of our successful business activities is in constant promotion to the banking market of the country of new and exclusive banking products and technologies, such as the two-factor international factoring, indispensable for the exporters, special conditions for salary payroll services to companies, as well as available credit cards. All of this will ensure the profitable and efficient operation of the bank and also in the future,“– said Sergey Kostyuchenko, Chairman of the Board of Priorbank JSC.