Banks imposed restrictions in lending
Banks VÚB, Tatra banka, UniCredit, ČSOB and Prima banka imposed restrictions in lending on corporations and individuals last week and other banks are expected to follow suit. VÚB has extended the deadline for signing loan documents to 90 days and is refusing to provide mortgages to businesses in the hotel, restaurant, tourism, retail and financial services segments. Prima banka will not provide loans to sole traders and people with an income from abroad. All banks view the income of small business owners as more risky. They are only providing mortgages up to 60% of the real estate value as they expect real estate prices to fall. It remains to be seen how the pandemic will impact the cost of the loans.
