Foreign capital banks account for 82.9 pc of the domestic banking system

BUCHAREST - The net assets of foreign capital banks were accounting, at the end of 2006, for 82.8 per cent of the Romanian banking system, being RON 142.51 bln. worth (EUR 42.14 bln.), according to National Bank of Romania (BNR).

The Romanian major capital lending institutions were accounting for 11.4 per cent of the system, with assets worth RON 19.61 bln. (EUR 5.8 bln.), and the net assets of the foreign bank branches were RON 10.07 bln. worth (EUR 2.97 bln.).

The net assets of the Romanian banking system advanced by 34 per cent in December 2006 as against December 2005, amounting to RON 172.2 bln. (EUR 50.9 bln.).

The first three important banks within the system, Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), BRD – Groupe Societe Generale and Raiffeisen Bank were accounting, in December 2006, for more than 50 per cent of the total net assets.

BCR continues to rank the first, with net assets worth of RON 45.08 bln. (EUR 13.3 bln.) and a share of 26.2 per cent of the total, followed by BRD, with net assets of RON 28.02 bln. (EUR 8.28 bln.) and a market share of 16.3 per cent. Raiffeisen Bank Romania, which ranks the third, was accounting for 8 per cent of the market, at the end of last year, with assets worth RON 13.82 bln. (EUR 4.08 bln.).

From among the Romanian capital banks, the best situation was registered for Banca Transilvania, with assets worth RON 8.08 bln. (EUR 2.38 bln.) and a market share of 4.7 per cent, followed by Casa de Economii si Consemnatiuni (CEC – National House of Savings), State owned, with a market share of 4.1 per cent and assets worth RON 7.04 bln. (EUR 2.08 bln.).

HVB Tiriac, Bancpost, Alpha Bank and ING Bank had, in December 2006, net assets in excess of EUR 2 bln., and shares of 5.1 per cent, 4.5 per cent, 4.2 per cent and 4.2 per cent.

The only bank with a market share ranging from 3 per cent to 4 per cent was ABN Amro Romania, with assets worth RON 5.26 bln. (EUR 1.55 bln.). The segment of banks with shares over 2 per cent includes Volksbank (2.7 per cent) and Banca Romaneasca (2.1 per cent). Six lending institution within the system were accounting for 1 per cent and 2 per cent of the net asset – Eximbank (1.4 per cent), UniCredit Romania (1.7 per cent), OTP Bank Romania (1.5 per cent), Citibank and Finansbank Romania, each with 1.4 per cent and Piraeus Bank (1.1 per cent). Immediately below the threshold of 1 per cent, there was Banca Comerciala Carpatica, with assets worth RON 1.63 bln. (EUR 483.7 M).

Most of the small banks had a market share of less than 0.1 per cent.

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