October 22 (SeeNews) - The gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of the Bulgarian banking system fell to 9.1% at the end of June from 9.3% at the end of March, due to an increase in gross loans, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) said.
In terms of value, the amount of gross NPLs in the Bulgarian banking system totalled 7.7 billion levs ($4.5 billion/3.9 billion euro) at the end of June, unchanged in comparison with the end of the first quarter, BNB said on Friday in a quarterly report on the state of the banking system.
At the end of June, the gross credit portfolio of banks in Bulgaria, excluding loans and advances to central banks and credit institutions, increased by 3.3% compared to the end of March, reaching 58.9 billion levs.
Deposits in banks in Bulgaria rose by 3.0% on a quarterly comparison basis at the end of June.
The credits-to-deposits ratio of the Bulgarian banking system edged up to 73% at the end of June from 72.5% at the end of March.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)