NPL sales lose momentum in CEE as focus turns south

Bojan-Markovic-780
Bojan Markovic, the EBRD’s deputy director for economics, policy and governance

Tackling bad debts remains a priority in central Europe and the Balkans, despite substantial reductions in stocks over the last four years, according to EBRD experts.

In the first half of the decade, five countries in the region – Romania, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania – saw non-performing loans pass 20% of the total, while in Hungary and Croatia figures reached the high teens.

By the end of last year, the only markets where NPL ratios remained in double figures were Albania (14.3%),