December 3 (SeeNews) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved extending a 50-million euro ($73.1 million) loan to Slovenia’s largest bank by assets, Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), NLB said on Monday.
The loan is intended for on-lending to Slovenian municipalities and small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), NLB said in a statement.
NLB has already taken out three loans from EIB for the total amount of 150 million euro to finance projects of Slovenian SMEs and municipalities.
The bank controlled some 40% of the assets of Slovenia’s banking sector at the end of 2006.
The NLB Group comprises 63 units operating on 18 markets, including 16 banks, 11 leasing companies, 11 financial companies and five insurers. The Slovenian government owns 35.41% of NLB and Belgian banking group KBC has 34%. The remainder is owned by a large number of minority shareholders.
($ = 0.68 euro)