The loan portfolio of Kazakhstan’s banking sector increased by 17.6% year on year, reaching KZT 43.78 trillion as of May 1 this year, according to Ranking.kz, citing data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan. Of the country’s 23 second-tier banks, 17 posted annual growth, 4 saw declines, while 2 newly established banks have not yet accumulated year-on-year data.
Among Kazakhstan’s 10 largest lending banks, 9 reported positive growth, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports. Bank RBK led the market by a significant margin, with its loan portfolio expanding by 39.6% year on year to KZT 1.6 trillion. The bank also recorded monthly growth of 1.2%, outperforming the market average increase of 0.9%.
The bank continues to actively finance the economy, supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, the real sector, and socially important projects. For individual customers, Bank RBK offers unsecured loans of up to KZT 8 million, as well as secured loans of up to KZT 75 million.
The bank also provides loan refinancing options and loans backed by funds held in savings accounts. For small and medium-sized businesses, Bank RBK offers a broad range of lending products, as well as access to various government support programs, including portfolio guarantees, the Isker Aimaq, Umit (for women entrepreneurs), Orleu, and Damu Regions programs, financing schemes for SMEs in the manufacturing sector, and regional lending initiatives.
For corporate clients, the bank provides a variety of financing solutions, including funding for investment projects. Bank RBK’s reliability and positive development are reflected in the assessments of the world’s leading credit rating agencies, known as the “Big Three”.
In April this year, Moody’s Ratings affirmed the bank’s rating at Ba2 with a Stable outlook, while Fitch Ratings affirmed a BB rating, also with a Stable outlook. Freedom Bank ranked second among the country’s top ten lenders in terms of annual loan portfolio growth, posting an increase of 25.4% to KZT 1.1 trillion.
Kaspi Bank came third, with its loan portfolio expanding by 24.3% year on year to KZT 8.1 trillion. Other strong performers included Otbasy Bank, whose loan portfolio grew by 21.5% over the year, Bank CenterCredit with growth of 20.3%, Bereke Bank at 19.2%, and ForteBank at 19%.
For reference, Kazakhstan’s ten largest lending banks account for 92.1% of the combined loan portfolio of the country’s second-tier banking sector, equivalent to KZT 40.3 trillion, up 16.4% from a year earlier. The remaining banks hold less than 8% of the sector’s total loan portfolio, or KZT 3.4 trillion.
However, this segment recorded a substantial year-on-year increase of 34.6%. The share of loans overdue by more than 90 days (NPL 90+) remains relatively low at just 4.1% of the sector’s total loan portfolio. The continued expansion of Kazakhstan’s banking sector loan portfolio reflects growing financing of the national economy and the increasing role of banks in supporting economic development, particularly as asset quality remains strong and overdue debt levels are kept under tight control.
License No. 1.2.100/245/41 issued by the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market on April 5, 2021. Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Bank RBK led market in deposit growth amid rising trust.