Nafta Gbely and Bank Austria signed a loan contract worth $10 million on July 7. The loan, which matures in 2000, will be drawn gradually in US dollars or in Deutsch marks. The interest rate is tied to LIBOR and the interest rate spread of a creditor is up to 1 percent p.a. The loan was non-collateral.
Bank officials said that such lucrative conditions partially stemmed from Nafta's current economic situation and market position, but added that the development prospects of Nafta and its partner, the state-run gas company SPP, meant most.
"The loan will be used to cover operational costs and reconstruction of Nafta's underground natural gas storage facilities," said Jozef Čechovič, Nafta's economic director.
