Last year, for the third year in a row, domestic credit activity achieved almost double-digit growth and amounted to 9.9 percent, which is among the best results in the region.
Observed at the level of the year, the credit situation increased in all activities, mostly in the real estate, transport and construction sectors.
This is the data from the report of the National Bank of Serbia on trends in lending activity in the fourth quarter of last year. The large growth of loans is explained as a result of excellent realization at the beginning of the year, easing of the monetary policy of the NBS, enabled delay in loan repayment and approval of the loan from the guarantee scheme.
Total bank placements increased by 10.7 percent in 2020, which, in addition to the growth of lending activity, was also contributed by banks’ investment in dinar corporate bonds in the second half of the year.
“Loans to the economy at the level of the year increased by 950 million euros, while observed only at the level of the fourth quarter, they decreased by 55.8 million euros,” the report reads.
“During the fourth quarter, commercial banks approved 333.3 million euros from the guarantee scheme to micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, bringing the amount of total loans realized in 2020 to one and a half billion euros.”
According to the data from the report, loans to households increased by 65 million euros during the fourth quarter, bringing their growth to 1.05 billion euros last year. Cash and housing loans contributed the most to the increase, and lending to entrepreneurs increased more than before thanks to loans under the guarantee scheme, BiF reports.
