Yerevan, February 5 /Mediamax/. Official opening of “ProCredit Bank”, which became the 22nd commercial bank of Armenia and the 22nd bank, entering the “ProCredit” Group, took place in Yerevan today.

Mediamax reports that the Executive Director of “ProCredit Bank” Berthold Hertzfeldt stated in Yerevan at a news conference today that “we strive to become a bank, which works for small enterprises and ordinary customers”. According to him, “ProCredit Bank” positions itself as a development bank and considers its basic goal the assistance to the economic and social development of Armenia. Berthold Hertzfeldt stressed that the target groups of the bank will be the small and medium enterprises, as well as the households.

Deputy Executive Director of “ProCredit Bank” Ashot Abrahamian presented the plans of the bank for the current year. Starting from today, the bank will provide the customers (individuals and legal entities) with basic banking products – credits, deposits, transfers, accounts.

In mid-2008 “ProCredit Bank” will put into operation cash-machines. In August, the bank will take up the provision of agricultural credits, which “will also become one of the most important activity directions of the bank”. It is also planned to create “interesting season banking products”, the target group of which will be the tourists, leaving for Georgia for the summer vacation (“ProCredit Bank” has been functioning in Georgia starting from 1999).

By the end of the year, it is planned to put into operation 6 branches of “ProCredit Bank” in Armenia, 4 of which will be located in Yerevan, and in Vanadzor and Artashat one branches each. According to the plans, the credit portfolio of “ProCredit Bank” will make about $30mln by the end of the year.

Ashot Abrahamian stressed that “ProCredit Bank” does not intend to hold dumping policy – the accent will be put on the quality and the speed of service.

Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sarkisian expressed confidence that the arrival of “ProCredit Bank” will assist the development of the financial mediation, new banking culture will appear – “we will have the opportunity to see what a customer-oriented bank, bearing social responsibility, is like”.

Head of the Central Bank stressed that the development of small and medium enterprise is of considerable importance for Armenia, and the activity of “ProCredit Bank” will be assisting the development of banking competition in the given sphere.

First Vice-President of the German KfW bank Ronald Siller highly assessed the cooperation with the government and the Central Bank of Armenia. According to him, “from now on there is the “Mercedes” of banking services existing in Armenia – not from the point of view of prices, but concerning the quality”.

“ProCredit Bank” shareholders in Armenia are ProCredit Holding (66.66%), KfW (16.67%), EBRD (16.67%). The authorized capital stock of the bank makes 5bln 790mln drams.