Central and Eastern Europe: Country category winners 2023

Raiffeisen Bank has been named the best bank for small and medium-sized enterprises in Albania. It has improved efficiency for SME clients and has also grown market share and performed strongly. It achieved 10% growth in SME clients last year, a period in which it increased assets assets by 30%.

The lender has shown the way for banking technology in the country through the digitalization of its lending services. During the awards period it achieved a market first by offering a fully digital business loan-application and automatic approval process. This initiative led to a 25% increase in digitally approved unsecured facilities in just one month. It reached another milestone when it introduced the first unsecured digital overdraft in the micro-segment.

Recognising the importance of sustainability, the bank also initiated environmental, social and governance-compliant loans for SME customers in 2022, aligning its services with its sustainable goals.

HSBC is Armenia’s best bank for corporate social responsibility after launching impactful initiatives to support education and employment.

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