The end of building saving banks in sight
Building saving banks have reported a fall in deposits for the first time ever this year, by €137m to €3.3bn. Their loan volume is falling too, pointed out the central bank NBS. This follows tightening the rules for provision of state subsidies for their clients, which in fact the banks themselves kept via high fees. They paid out €334m in dividends in 2006-16 and, at the same time, the state paid €405m in subsidies. The largest building saving bank, PSS, recently fired its CEO, Imrich Béreš, because he siphoned money via overpriced marketing and consulting services. He was the sector’s best lobbyist who staved off the government’s efforts to cut the subsidies for almost a decade. The building saving banks must either find a new business model or sell themselves to other banks.
