Bancherul - BANCI / ENGLISH / BCR: We did not receive from the mother-bank Erste Bank any request for early repayments of parent loans

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) is persistently/consistently acting towards offering a real support to our customers, concomitantly with ensuring an adequate risk management aimed at protecting the customers themselves, the bank and its shareholders, said the bank in a press release.

This approach is wholeheartedly backed by the mother-bank, Erste Group, for both retail and corporate business lines.

,,Erste Group will continue to fund BCR, as normal, whenever is needed. Consequently, our bank has the capacity to provide financing, both in lei and EUR, for all viable, quality business investment� stated Wolfgang Schoiswohl, Advisor to the Management Board of BCR for corporate business line.

Moreover, BCR put in place a new lending offer for the retail segment, a very advantageous one, intended to help our customers, an offer we are constantly working to improve.

�Our current activity clearly indicates the bank has good liquidity in EUR and lei as well. BCR did not and does not receive from the mother-bank any request for early repayments of parent loans� Wolfgang Schoiswohl pointed out.

In fact, BCR enjoys the largest and strongest financing base available on the Romanian market.

In the last quarter of 2008 the balance of loans granted by BCR marked a development above the banking system average, thus the bank recorded in November 2008 increased market shares on both retail lending segment (+ 0,5%), and the corporate one (+0,4% compared to September).

BCR, a member of the Erste Group, is a universal bank dedicated to both retail and corporate customers. BCR is the leading banking organization in Romania, managing assets worth of more than EUR 17.5 billion. BCR is the most valuable Romanian financial services brand. The bank is offering a full range of banking services having 634 retail branches and agencies (for individuals and micro corporations) located in most of the Romanian cities with a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants. The corporate customers are serviced in 50 corporate commercial centres dedicated exclusively to SMEs and big companies. The bank provides to both retail and corporate customers a complex offer of banking products and services, including Internet banking, phone banking and e-commerce services. BCR issues 24 types of debit and credit card, and is the owner of the largest national ATM and POS network � over 1,800 machines and over 15.000 electronic terminals operational at the merchants, for card payments. BCR is currently the most important financial Group in Romania, with operations both in Romania and abroad developed by its local branches, foreign banking subsidiaries and representative offices. BCR is also holding top positions on the financial market segments for leasing, asset management, housing bank, equity and pension funds as well as insurance supported by its domestic subsidiaries.