OREANDA-NEWS. December 12, 2014. The EBRD is providing a EUR 30 million loan to UniCredit Leasing d.o.o. to support the access of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to lease finance for equipment, light commercial vehicles, trucks and trailers.
 
Small and medium-sized enterprises form the backbone of the Croatian economy, yet their growth prospects remain severely impacted by the limited availability to finance. In this situation leasing can represent a viable and important alternative.
 
The EBRD is supporting the local leasing market with a new Croatia Leasing Sector Framework launched in September.
 
UniCredit Leasing Croatia is the leading leasing company in Croatia, securing access to financing through Small business centers of Zagrebacka banka and UniCredit Leasing branches throughout Croatia.
 
The EBRD welcomes the company’s plans for expansion as they are expected to contribute to the rebound of the sector.
 
Vedrana Jelusic Kasic, EBRD Director for Croatia, said: “We are proud that our new framework has found such a good response in the market and we see this as a promising sign of growing activity in the Croatian economy. Croatia needs to return to growth and in this local SMEs have a crucial role.”
 
Eugen Paic Karega, President of the Board of UniCredit Leasing, emphasized: ‘Our company is currently the only one participating together with institution such as Hamag-Bicro in programs for entrepreneurship financing and start-ups, which we will supplement with favorable financing conditions of the EBRD credit line. Being aware of the fact that the development of small and medium size entrepreneurship is the key for the economic development, we have eased the access to the leasing entrepreneurship through our programs and new possibilities, more favorable and more flexible financing like this one, presenting UniCredit Leasing as a partner who contributes in generating new values’.
 
The EBRD has been active in Croatia as an investor since the country’s independence and has invested more than EUR 3.0 billion in over 165 projects to date. The Bank’s activities include all areas of the economy and are especially strong in the infrastructure, corporate, financial institutions and energy sectors.
 
UniCredit Leasing Croatia is a leading leasing company in Croatia and a part of the leading financial group in central and eastern Europe, together with Zagrebacka banka, Croatian leading bank and a strong strategic partner.