The bank's 2019 performance results were approved by the General Shareholders' Meeting of Belgazprombank held on 22 March 2019 in Minsk in the conference hall of Hotel "Europe". The bank's activities in 2018 were aimed at achieving the indicators defined by the Strategic Development Plan for 2017-2020.
At the conclusion of the Shareholders' Meeting a press-conference was held with the participation of the following representatives:
- Andrey Kruglov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of PJSC "Gazprom", Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Belgazprombank;
- Alexander Sobol, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Bank GPB (JSC), Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Belgazprombank;
- Vladimir Maiorov, Director General of JSC "Gazprom Transgaz Belarus";
- Viktar Babaryka, Chairman of the Management Board of Belgazprombank.
Last year Belgazprombank completely achieved its planned performance indicators. The assets growth allowed the bank not only to maintain its 6% market share but also to enter the TOP-3 largest Belarusian banks. During the year Belgazprombank earned BYN 100,1 mln, increased its assets up to BYN 4540,3 mln and shareholders' equity up to BYN 684,7 mln.
In July last year the rating agency Fitch Ratings upgraded Belgazprombank’s Viability Rating to "b" fr om "b-" and affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Default Rating of Belgazprombank at "B" with Stable Outlook.
In December 2018 the National bank of the Republic of Belarus registered the increase of the shareholders' equity of Belgazprombank up to BYN 348,2 mln paid out of the funds of PJSC "Gazprom" and Bank GPB (JSC) in the amount of BYN 158,8 mln. Thus, at the end of the year Belgazprombank became the largest non-state-owned bank in the Republic of Belarus.
The year ended was marked by the continuation of the successful cooperation with international financial institutions. Belgazprombank attracted a syndicated loan in the total amount of EUR 117,5 mln. Bank GPB (JSC) and Bank Otkritie Financial Corporation acted as arrangers in this transaction.
During the reporting year the bank ensured the high rate of growth of retail lending by virtue of automation of all programs on lending to individuals without collateral. Standardization of loans to small and medium businesses was continued. In 2018 the percentage of standardized loans in total number of loan transactions concluded with small business customers amounted to 73%.
The Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus awarded Belgazprombank for its active support of small and medium-sized enterprises. Belgazprombank and the Development Bank continued the realization of the mutual program on the development of investment activities to provide further financial support to SME: the bank's customers received access to loans in Belarusian rubles at favorable rates.
In the framework of crowdfunding campaign Belgazprombank supported the publication of books in the Belarusian language written by the winner of the Nobel Prize Svetlana Alexievich by ordering an extra edition of the unique five-volume series and granting them subsequently to the book collections of all regional and district libraries of Belarus.
In 2018 the Cross Disciplinary Hub of Belgazprombank OK16 topped the rating of the most popular requests from Belarus according to Yandex. It should be pointed out that at the beginning of 2017 the bank purchased a part of the factory premises located in Oktyabrskaya Street in order to create there an interactive ground for fintech-, social and cultural projects. Nowadays, the ground hosts conferences, concerts, exhibitions, performances, different shows. In particular, it is OK16 wh ere the closing ceremony of the festival "TEART-2018" took place.
Thanks to the "Art-Minsk"International Contemporary Art Festival which was held in 2018 for the first
time every spectator could discover art created by Belarusian and foreign
authors. A record number of works were gathered at the Autumn Salon with Belgazprombank held in October-November last year for the
fourth time.