LOANS EXTENDED BY ARMENIAN BANKING SYSTEM TO RESIDENTS GROW BY 4.1% TO 642.8BLN IN Q4 2008

ARKA
Jan 28, 2009

YEREVAN, January 28. /ARKA/. Volume of loans extended by Armenian
banking system to residents, including deposits, factoring and leasing,
had totaled 642.8bln Drams by the end of December 2008, which is an
increase of 4.1% or 25.3bln Drams over the fourth quarter, says the
report of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on activities of Armenian
banks in Q4 2008.

Lending growth rate was considerable in the field of agriculture
in the period – an increase of 15.1% or 4.8bln Drams up to 36.5bln
Drams. Loans in financial sector grew by 10.4% or 2.4bln Drams up to
25bln Drams. Lending to construction grew by 5.5% or 2.1bln Drams to
39.5bln Drams.

Loans extended to industry went up by 1.9% or 85.9bln Drams. Loans
provided to other fields grew by 6.4% up to 55.6bln Drams.

In the reporting period, loans provided by banks to transport and
communication sector went up by 4.7% up to 10.2bln Drams, to trade
sector – by 4.8% up to 132bln Drams.

Consumer credits grew by 2bln Drams or 1.2% up to 174.5bln Drams over
the reporting quarter, while mortgage credits went up by 2.3bln Drams
or 3.2% up to 83.6bln Drams.

Consumer credits constitute the highest share of overall lending –
27.15%, trade credits – 20.54%, loans credits to industry – 13.36%
and mortgage credits are 13.01%.0D

According to the preliminary information of ARKA News Agency,
the following three banks possess the largest credit portfolio
among Armenian banks – ACBA-Credit Agricole (82.9bln Drams),
Ardshininvestbank (72.7bln Drams) and HSBC Bank Armenia (71.8bln
Drams).

There were 22 banks with 380 branches operating in Yerevan at the
end of December 2008.