Damascus-SANA
During the year 2022, the banking sector witnessed a remarkable growth in the volume of loans granted in light of the expansion of programs to support and finance small, medium and micro enterprises to include a number of public and private banks, in addition to simplifying the procedures for obtaining loans for low-income civilians and military personnel.
The Commercial Bank of Syria achieved high lending rates between public and private banks, as it granted personal loans to state workers and owners of economic activities, since the beginning of the year to date, more than 102 billion Syrian pounds to more than 11,800 borrowers, while the volume of loans granted to the military exceeded 120 billion pounds, with an estimated number of beneficiaries. About 14,500 borrowers, while the volume of loans granted to purchase real estate amounted to more than 45 billion pounds, with a total number of about 900 loans.
The financial indicators in the Savings Bank recorded a remarkable growth this year, and the volume of development loans granted to workers in the state amounted to more than 44 billion and 400 million Syrian pounds, with a number of beneficiaries of 16,910, and to retirees and military personnel, by more than 35 billion pounds, benefiting 12,089 borrowers, while the indicators achieved in the program increased. Supporting the projects of the bank, bringing their financing to more than 4 billion and 700 million pounds.
In the Industrial Bank, the amount of financing granted to owners of projects and productive investment activities increased to reach about 18 billion Syrian pounds, from the beginning of this year until the end of last September, an increase of 100 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The amount of financing granted to industrial and craft projects was estimated at 60 percent of this amount. Loans, and the rest was allocated to commercial, service, professional, and “animal” agricultural projects.
The product of limited income loans with an insurance guarantee, which was recently launched by the People’s Credit Bank in cooperation with the Syrian General Insurance Corporation, was very popular with citizens, as the total volume of financing granted to workers in the state by the bank during the month of November alone amounted to 12 billion and 649 million pounds, with a total number of borrowers 5128. Borrowers, while the volume of limited income loans with a personal guarantee in the same month amounted to 6 billion pounds.
The projects of the segment of small producers, small businesses, and those with limited or no income had the largest share of funding during the current year through operating loans, as the Ebdaa Microfinance Bank “Syria” provided more than 22 billion Syrian pounds to a wide segment of borrowers that exceeded 11 thousand borrowers, while the percentage of project loans reached More than 30 percent of this agricultural bloc was allocated, and the rest was allocated to commercial, industrial and service activities, while the value of savings deposits with the bank amounted to about 25 billion pounds.
The National Bank for Microfinance also witnessed a significant growth in the volume of loans granted to various economic activities, whether income-generating or non-income, benefiting more than 15 thousand borrowers with a value of more than 30 billion Syrian pounds, while opening the way for more bank accounts and linking the deposits of individuals and companies in light of The readiness of its electronic payment system and its willingness to launch its electronic debit cards in the first quarter of next year.
Wassim Al-Adawi
Follow SANA's news on Telegram https://t.me/SyrianArabNewsAgency
