TIRANA, April 21 /ATA/ The Bank of Albania announces that the demand for business loans was high in the first quarter of 2022.
According to the BoA, the increase in credit demand was observed both in terms of the purpose of using the loan and in terms of business size.
Credit demand balances marked high positive values, also this quarter, in loans to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large ones.
The demand for loans for investment purposes, as well as that to cover the needs for liquidity increased this quarter, according to the BoA. It informs that, second-level banks applied the same lending standards for big business but tightened them for small and medium businesses (SME) during the first quarter of this year.
According to the quarterly survey of the lending activity of the Bank of Albania, the factors that gave rise to the tightening of lending standards for businesses in this quarter were related to the perception of risk for elements such as the economic situation in the country and its prospects, solvency of the borrower and collateral required.
Their tightening was applied through price elements, where they reported higher margins on risky loans.
As for big business, lending standards remained unchanged.
/r.e/sm/
