Past due instalments reach 5.5% of overall loans

The ratio of non-performing loans to overall loans granted to the population and to companies reached 5.5% in April, from 3.88% at the end of last year.
This is more than double the level recorded in April last year, according to data from the NBR (National Bank of Romania).
For the first time overdue amounts on foreign currency denominated loans exceeded the volume of RON-denominated overdue amounts. According to NBR data, overdue loans denominated in foreign currency amounted to 5.6 billion RON (1.3 billion euros), while RON-denominated amounts stood at 5.48 billion RON. At the end of last year the difference between overdue payments in RON and in foreign currency was almost one billion RON.
However, loan portfolio quality is somewhat better in the case of foreign currency loans, with a 4.5% ratio of non-performing loans in April. RON-denominated overdue amounts exceeded 7%.
The contraction of RON-denominated loans accelerates the rise in the ratio of overdue loans, while the rise in the volume of foreign currency loans helps keep the ratio of non-performing loans down.