Sales diversification is one of the key focus areas of Ak Bars Bank’s activity, with key attention being devoted to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are less vulnerable to global risks, and less dependent on the macroeconomic situation in a given country. The development of this segment of the Bank’s clients’ portfolio is the basis for the overall growth of the Bank.
The Bank’s loan products for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise are focused on assisting to increase business income, on their standardisation, and on their availability to customers at the same, maintaining the high quality and reliability of the portfolio.
Ak Bars Bank extends these loans to small businesses across Russia (43 branches), through its own programmes in cooperation with the governmental and regional organisations of Russia and Tatarstan (providing the support infrastructure for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise), and on special terms and conditions.
On the 1st of January, 2013, the Bank’s loan portfolio for small businesses (enterprises and sole traders with an annual income of less than 400 m rubles) amounted to 21.4 bn rubles. From February 2012, the Bank’s network of branches introduced the Accelerated Program for Small Business Lending, within which management statements are also considered in the analysis of the customer’s financial and economic performance.
On the 1st of January, 2012, the Bank’s loan portfolio for medium-sized businesses (enterprises and sole traders with an annual income of between 400 m and 1 bn rubles) amounted to 7.5 bn rubles.
The Bank currently offers its own loan products to small businesses, starting with short-term working capital financing, increasing to investment lending for up to 7 years.
The Bank also offers loan products through the State Programme for Financial Support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, implemented together with The Russian Bank for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Business, OAO’s programme: «Financing for Innovations and Modernisation». The total fixed limit for this programme exceeds 2 bn rubles.
Under the joint efforts of the Non-Financial State Organisation «Guarantee Fund of RT», and the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, the Republic’s programme is implemented in order to support small businesses. Similar programmes are being carried out in the following regions: Novgorod Region, Krasnoyarsk Region, the Republic of Mari El, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Samara Region, Krasnodar Krai, Kirov Region, the city of Saint-Petersburg, the Republic of Udmurtia, Ulyanovsk Region, the Republic of Mordovia, Orenburg Region, Altai Krai, and Moscow Region.