Excellent results of OTP Group in Serbia as an overture to integration
In May this year, the integration of OTP banka Srbija and Vojvodjanska banka will be completed, and the two banks will merge under the single name of OTP Banka Srbija. This will finalize the most complex integration process seen so far on the domestic and regional financial market. It will also mean realizing the aspiration and implementing a strategic move of the OTP Group to form a leading banking institution in Serbia.
THE NO. 1 BANK IN SERBIA IN LENDING
The 2020 results of the OTP Group in Serbia have also contributed to this goal, which welcomes this historic moment with an annual growth of 15 percent on the credit market, i.e. more than 500 million euro. At the end of 2020, the total granted net loans of both banks amounted to 3.7 billion euro, which gave the Group a market share of over 17 percent.
Another important thing to mention is high credit growth is recorded in both business segments, both retail and corporate. In the segment of retail banking, OTP Group in Serbia saw annual growth of over 17 percent, with strong growth of production on housing loans of 40% annually and a market share in the housing loan segment of over 21%, while a market share of cash loans stood at more than 20 percent with realized growth of the market share of over 100 basis points. In the corporate segment, OTP Group in Serbia had an annual growth of about 13 percent, while the market share in this segment stood at over 16 percent, with a growth of over 50 basis points relative to the previous year. Thanks to these successes, as well as the increased market share in all segments, the new integrated bank will be the No. 1 bank in Serbia in terms of market share in corporate and retail lending. Customer satisfaction with the services that the Banks provides greatly contributed to these results, which is validated by the highest ratings the Banks got in customer experience satisfaction.
“The total net operating income at the end of 2020 amounted to 102 million euro, which is a 5.6% increase compared to the previous year”
Also, the total net operating income at the end of 2020 amounted to 102 million euro, which is a 5.6% increase compared to the previous year. In 2020, the entire OTP Group generated a consolidated profit of 742 million euro, with total assets worth 64 billion euro and annual asset growth of about 6%.
The combination of specific qualities of both banks, which are both parts of the new integrated bank, represents a real breath of fresh air on the domestic financial market, as well as a new motivating factor for other market participants. In regard to current and future clients, the integration is a synergy of the best solutions of these two big brands but also brings additional security and trust. Vision and optimism were the main reasons to symbolically name the integration after the brightest star in the sky Sirius, which is also a binary system made up of two stars.
CHANGING CLIENT HABITS DURING A PANDEMIC – THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Great credit for the success should be given to clients themselves, who, in the new circumstances, have demonstrated an ability to adapt and an exceptional willingness to change user habits.
The practicality, simplicity and security of online banking contributed to the fact that in the 48 days of the state of emergency, clients used the digital services of Vojvodjanska and OTP banks 80 percent more than in the previous period. This change in habits was an additional incentive to invest in the digitization of products and services, while clients were directed to use online banking as much as possible. Thus, the pandemic also proved to be an accelerator of changes in the habits of clients in the banking sector.
“To date, the OTP Group in Serbia has granted more than 259 million euro worth of loans through the guarantee scheme”
The joint collaboration of the corporate and government sectors also played an extremely important role in successfully overcoming the challenges. The agile reaction of the financial sector, with the support of the Government of Serbia’s programme, was the wind in the sails for businesses and citizens, while during this period, the assistance programme proved to be crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises. To date, the OTP Group in Serbia has granted more than 259 million euro worth of loans through the guarantee scheme.
INNOVATIONS AND NEW PROJECTS
Innovations are an inspiration for the OTP Group, both regionally and in Serbia, and our clients’ needs guide us in terms of our daily activities. With that in mind, we strive to be unique and contribute in the best possible way not only to our own business success but also to the business success of our clients. We are especially proud of the fact that the OTP Group has been recognized as a pioneer in innovation and digitalization, and that, through our Generator project in Serbia, we have managed to transfer that to domestic entrepreneurship. The Generator project marks the fifth anniversary this year. It provides support to social entrepreneurship and people who care about ecology and environmental protection. The 2021 Good Deeds Generator is intended for people who have started successful companies, dedicated to ecology and sustainability, all with the goal of supporting various socially sensitive categories.