Loan volumes decreased by Sk28.4 billion in February, due largely to the merger of state bailout agencies Konsolidačná banka Bratislava (KBB) and Slovenská kosolidačná (SKo). After transferring Sk31.5 billion in registered loans to SKo by February 1, KBB ceased to operate as a banking entity.
Excluding the merger, business and personal loans grew by Sk3.1 billion in February from the month before, compared to a Sk2 billion decrease in February 2001. The current growth is attributed to a Sk1.8 billion increase in business loans and a Sk1.1 billion increase in forex loans in February. Personal loans grew by Sk200 million. The total volume of business and personal loans increased by Sk25.8 billion compared to the same month last year, according to the NBS.
