Innovative products

Erste Bank traditionally pays great attention to developing financial services for the SME sector. We asked Krisztián Vitéz, Erste Bank Hungary Nyrt.’s small enterprise sales director • – Erste Bank remained active in the field of lending to SMEs during the recession. We offer several long- and short-term financing solutions to customers. • T. M.: – How did business risk assessment change after the second year of recession? • – Our risk assessment system was thorough enough already before the crisis, but now we focus more on their plans for the future than before. We have several innovative products, for instance the European Investment Bank and MFB refinance special loans for SMEs and we also have an Interest Rate Step deposit offer. Many customers like the Net-Trader service too. • T.M.: – What kind of new products did you plan to introduce? • – Erste Bank will soon make the new elements of the Széchenyi Card programme available to customers, e.g. the current asset and investment loans. • T. M.: – What steps would be necessary to help enterprises in order to make lending reach the level of two years ago? • – SMEs’ administrative burden should be reduced, a simpler tax environment must be created and domestic and foreign sales opportunities need to be expanded.