Romanian Household Lending Flat In Jan Compared With Dec

Romanian household lending was blocked in January, as it stayed at the previous month's level, both on the mortgage and consumer loans', according to the central bank BNR data.

The value of mortgage and consumer loans granted to the population slightly decreased in January compared with December 2008, as the increase in nominal terms of the foreign currency loans expressed in the local currency was annulled by the depreciation of the Romanian leu.
 
Both the consumer and the mortgage loans in Romanian lei slightly fell on the month in January, by 0.91%, to 37.55 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2946) and by 0.01%, at RON1.64 billion, respectively.
 
The consumer and the mortgage loans in foreign currency rose in January by 6.8% and 7.5%, respectively, compared with December 2008, reaching RON38.43 billion and RON20.79 billion, respectively.
 
Given that the value of the loans granted in foreign currency is expressed by BNR in lei and taking into account the depreciation of the Romanian leu by 7.33% against the euro in January 2009, the report shows that the consumer loans in foreign currency slightly fell in the first month of the year.
 
The consumer loans granted to population rose on the month in January by 2.85%, at RON75.98 billion, while the value of the mortgage loans increased by 6.9%, at RON22.44 billion.
 
The value of household loans rose 3.8% on the month in January, at RON103.3 billion, while the value of loans granted to companies was 4.73% higher on the month, at RON99.62 billion.

Mediafax