FINANCIAL LOANS AND CREDITS

Pardubice 18.10.2007. The financial group Profireal Group received a license from Romanian National Bank authorising it to provide loans and credits. This is a prerequisite of starting the activities of a company called Profi Credit IFN SA in the Romanian financial market. From the year 2008 onwards, Profireal Group will be using the trademark Profi Credit for all its companies which offer loans and credits.

"We established the company at the end of June and yesterday we obtained a license necessary for our business activities. Romania has thus become the fifth country that our financial group entered. At present, a process of hiring employees to build the regional head office is in full swing. We would wish to offer our first credits in the Romanian market in December," Tomáš Rosenberger, Chief Executive Officer Profi Credit IFN SA introduced the plans the company is pursuing in Romania.

The company Profi Credit has its seat in Bucharest. Two fundamental products will be gradually implemented in the Romanian market, i.e. the Employee credit for individuals and the Entrepreneurial credit for legal entities. Profi Credit will offer the credits through its own trade network of credit advisors. "By the year end 2008, we are planning to hire 1,000 credit advisors who will be controlled from eight regional head offices. Gradually we would also like the extend the range of our products. I believe that through our personalised approach in granting credits and thanks to our broad product range we shall establish ourselves in the Romanian market as well as we did in other countries," added Tomáš Rosenberger.

Following the experience gained in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, the financial group Profireal Group has focused on the markets in the new EU member countries. In doing so, it is following a number of Czech companies that have been diversifying their activities in the same direction. Currently operating in Romania already are ČEZ, AAA Auto, Hamé Babice, Zentiva or Techo, to name just a few.

In the course of the last year, Profireal started offering loans and credits in Bulgaria. It paid out the first loan in November 2006. "This year we are planning to provide credits worth over 100 millions Czech crowns in Bulgaria, whereas an average loan represents approximately CZK 40 thousand. We also anticipate a similar potential upon the launch of the company in Romania," David Chour, Group General Manager observed with reference to the Profireal Group's growth.

The division Profireal, which specialises in granting loans and credits within the Profireal Group, has been expanding remarkably over the recent five years. After the opening of its branch in Slovakia in the year 2001, there followed a launch of loan-selling activities in Poland in 2004, and at the end of the year 2006 Profireal sold its first credit also in Bulgaria. In the year 2006, the division Profireal offered loans and credits at a total amount representing CZK 2.92 billion to its clients.