In co-operation with the Business Association of Eastern Europe in Germany (Osteuropaverein der deutschen Wirtschaft) and ProCredit Bank in Germany, ProCredit Bank Kosovo participated in an informational event for more than 50 German businesses held at the Palmengarten in Frankfurt am Main.
The German companies, representing the agricultural, mechanical engineering, automotive, textile, IT and renewable energy sectors, welcomed this opportunity to become acquainted with the business model and possibilities of co-operation offered by the ProCredit banks in Eastern Europe, including ProCredit Bank in Kosovo.
Representatives of ProCredit Bank Kosovo, Mr Ilir Aliu and Ms Eriola Bibolli, met with German businesses and presented the institution and highlighted the financial stability of ProCredit Bank in Kosovo, thus encouraging participants to consider this excellent opportunity to expand their business activities to Kosovo.
In his welcome address, the chairman of the Business Association of Eastern Europe in Germany, Dr Marcus Felsner, emphasised how important South Eastern and Eastern Europe are for the stability of Europe. He expressed his regret that the region was currently being portrayed in a very one-sided manner by the media, as this diverts attention from the fact that these countries are in fact experiencing positive economic growth that is primarily driven by SMEs. The economic ties between German companies and businesses in South Eastern and Eastern Europe provide opportunities for the people in the region and thus, in his view, effectively contribute to the stability of Europe. He rounded off his speech by commenting that if ProCredit Bank did not exist, it would have to be invented.
“As the house bank for small and medium-sized businesses, we seek to build long-term relationships based on trust with our clients everywhere. In this way, we ensure that we understand our clients, their business models and their projects. This is the only way to provide good customer service and at the same time lower the risk faced by clients and by us as a bank,” said Christoph Freytag, spokesman of the Management Board of ProCredit Bank Germany.
ProCredit Bank Kosovo concluded the first six months of the year with the results expected, further strengthening its position as a strong, innovative and stable financial institution. We maintained our leading position in Kosovo with 26% of total assets and a market share of about 24% in gross loans and 26.4 % in deposits. At the end of June 2015, total assets stood at EUR 780 million. Furthermore, customer deposits have once again shown the high level of confidence that Kosovo’s citizens have in our bank – where total deposits by the end of June amounted to EUR 663 million.
By offering innovative services to business clients, such as the deposit facilities available in its 24/7 Zones, ProCredit Bank continues to strengthen its leading position as a stable financial institution. As a bank, we are the first choice of small to medium business clients – the total loan portfolio of ProCredit Bank as of June of this year amounted to EUR 458 million.
