In 2020 Center-invest Bank lent businesses a total of RUB77bn. Customers in the SME sector accounted for 92% of business loans.

In the last year, the bank and its customers have undergone accelerated digitalisation and business transformation. In May 2020 the bank launched a new “Business Transformation” loan programme, thanks to which over 400 customers have been able to modernise and digitalise their business processes, establish remote services and online offerings, and enter new markets. In autumn, an offer was added to the programme, combining attractive terms for payments and cash management, with reliable acquiring and a free online cashier.

“Center-invest Bank’s customers have coped well with the pandemic: we are not seeing an increase in NPLs; there hasn’t been a spate of defaults,” said Anastasia Korotun, head of Center-invest Bank’s Business Banking Division. “At present, 82% of our business customers have come to the end of their loan repayment holidays. For us and our customers, the crisis is yet another reason to look for new opportunities. The bank offers a whole range of products and services to help its customers to implement their bold ideas.”

Since signing up to government loan programmes to support business recovery and help employers pay salaries, Center-invest Bank has enabled 280 hard-hit businesses to keep trading and preserve 5,312 jobs.

Agribusiness continues to account for a significant proportion of the bank’s loan portfolio (agribusiness loan portfolio - RUB14bn) and it is one of the sectors that did not suffer during lockdown. Agricultural companies continued to operate throughout the lockdown, as did banks. 2020 was characterised by high prices for agricultural products. The timely repayment of loans made to agricultural companies and SMEs demonstrates that our customers have a responsible attitude to their businesses and to their partners and employees. The bank establishes long-term, trusting relationships with its customers and offers the best loan terms. Both the bank and its customers benefit from this.

At the start of 2021 Center-invest Bank launched a special loan product for self-employed individuals, with an annual interest rate of 10.5%. The maximum loan term is five years, and the maximum amount for an unsecured loan is RUB1m.