Volume 2, issue 7 30.072006 INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR POSTAL FINANCIAL SERVICES & BUSINESS /ICPFSB/ Post € Fin - Newsletter / Special Issue Special points of PostFinance reports encouraging growth interest: 28 July, 2006 - [Press Re- • Ghana: “Financial lease] services as a central “PostFinance continued to component for the grow in the first half of survival of postal 2006. The inflow of new services” money amounted to 2.35 billion francs, almost 400 • Germany: “Postbank million francs above the expects to generate a year-back period. Cus- further significant tomer deposits have risen increase in average to 39.8 billion francs. In earnings per cus- parallel, the number of accounts increased to tomer through the 61,000 in the first six new sales outlet” months of the year. PostFi- nance also posted strong creased by 119 positions, and a consulting • Switzerland: growth for mortgages (+16.2 further 20 positions are budg- “PostFinance to %), an increase of 234 million eted for by the end of 2006. PostFinance is and remains launch video francs. The average headcount innovative and will be the first consulting” has risen by 119 since Janu- Yellownet is growing in financial institution in Swit- ary, compared with the year- popularity zerland to offer financial ad- back period. Following suc- vice by video link. A pilot test cessful tests, PostFinance is to In 1998, PostFinance became conducted from October 2005 Inside this issue: intro-duce financial advice by the first financial institution to to March 2006 at post offices video link to reinforce sales. introduce an e-finance solu- in western Switzerland has tion (yellownet) for electronic produced important findings Investments in growth are account management in 1998: for the rollout. PostFinance Bancpost is opening five new agencies in paying off for PostFinance. an innovation that has paid will install both video and Constanta in a single 2 The financial arm of Swiss off. The number of yellownet telephone consulting facilities day Post again increased the in- customers had increased to at suitable post offices in the flow of new money and cus- 713,600 by the end of June, course of the next year. This is Postbank Offers ATM tomer deposits in the first six corresponding to 42,000 new part of its previously an- Payment with EuroLine, months of the year. In paral- customers since the end of nounced plan to reinforce its American Express and 3 lel, the number of customer VISA Credit Cards 2005. Each month, 7,000 new presence at 600 post offices. accounts rose by 61,000 to customers register for yel- The choice of locations will be Correos aims to launch 3.07 million. Loans to private lownet, enabling PostFinance made by PostFinance and Post BanCorreos before the 4 and business customers per- to further expand its position Offices & Sales in the next few summer.” formed well. Mortgage vol- as the clear number one in e- months. In this way, PostFi- Portuguese postal ser- umes rose by 234 million finance. The trend towards nance will combine its finan- vice looks for partner in francs in the first half, corre- 7 electronic payments is con- cial expertise with high cus- Angola to implement sponding to an increase of tinuing. In the period from tomer traffic volumes at the Payshop system 16.2 %. Overall, loans went up 1999 to 2005, the number of post offices, thus strengthen- by 367 million. PostFinance’s Mongolia's XacBank 10 transfers via yellownet went ing sales. “ joins Eurogiro network growth has had a positive ef- up from 224.4 to 329 million fect on the human resources (+46.6 %). Ghana Post to Diversify 12 situation. Since January, the Pilot test concluded: Post- Services average headcount has in- Finance to launch video Volume 2, issue 7 Bancpost inaugurates its new “Plata Victoriei” agency in Bucharest 27 July, 2006 - [Press Re- tal city not less than seven Hunedoara Street, Bloc lease] new units in July. Thus, the H4-H5, entrance 1-2, sec- Bank?s operating network in tor 1, which is the 164th “Bancpost is ”Bancpost is consistently fol- the Bucharest region will unit of Bancpost. consistently lowing its policy of rapid grow to 39 units. expansion and modernisa- The other newly opened or following its policy tion of its territorial network, In such a highly dynamic almost ready-to-open units of rapid expansion the Bucharest one in particu- context, on Thursday, July are located in several densely and modernisation lar. After it inaugurated five 27th, the formal cere- populated areas of Bucha- of its territorial new units in just one day in mony will take place for rest, such as in Iuliu Maniu, Constanţa at the beginning of the opening of the new Nicolae Titulescu, Ion Miha- network” July, the Bank is now on the "Piata Victoriei" Agency lache, Lacul Tei avenues as verge of opening in the capi- located in 6, Iancu de well as in şoseaua Colentina Bancpost is opening five new agencies in Constanta in a single day 13 July, 2006 - [Press Re- been opened today provide cies is part of the policy of lease] an entire range of banking Eurobank EFG, the Bancpost operations for the general majority shareholder, tar- ”As of today, Bancpost has public: current accounts, geted to modernize the five more agencies in Con- bank deposits, RON and for- Bancpost units by removing “The new units stanta. Thus, the operational eign currency loans, debit the closed teller counters, by provide access to the network of the bank consists and credit cards, foreign ex- organizing the space as an bank products and of 6 units situated in the city change, payment of bills, open platform, providing from the Black Sea coast. savings instruments, etc. room for the officers special- services for a larger izing in client services and for number of clients. The five new agencies are Furthermore, the agencies the tellers, and by imple- Bancpost currently located as follows: the Dacia have ATMs provided with menting the new corporate owns 160 Agency, at 235 Tomis Blvd, POS terminals, which accept identity. The "Casa de Cultura" all types of electronic reading operational units, Agency, at 43 "1 Decembrie cards, such as VISA, Maestro, The new units provide access distributed through- 1918" Blvd., "Nicolae Iorga" MasterCard and AMEX. to the bank products and out the entire Agency at no. 146 Tomis services for a larger number territory of the Blvd., Soveja Agency, at no. The working hours of the of clients. Bancpost currently 281 Tomis Blvd., and the new units are Monday to owns 160 operational units, country” Tomis Agency, at no. 97 Friday, between 09:00 and distributed throughout the Tomis Blvd. 17:00. entire territory of the coun- try.” All the agencies which have The opening of the new agen- Eurobank EFG to acquire Universal Bank in Ukraine 24 July, 2006 - [Press work of 32 branches with ca. mercial banking products, Release] 480 employees. At the end of including consumer and auto 2005 Universal Bank had loans, mortgages, deposits, “Eurobank EFG has reached Shareholders’ Equity of USD credit cards, money transfer “Eurobank EFG has an agreement with private 16.5 million and Total Assets and currency services, retail reached an shareholders of Universal of USD 79 million under brokerage, insurance and Bank in Ukraine to acquire IFRS. The Bank is affiliated investment products, as well agreement with pri- shares representing 99.34% to the Universal Investment as trade and working capital vate shareholders of of the bank’ s share capital. Group, active in insurance, finance, factoring, term fi- Universal Bank in Universal Bank is a medium- retail fuel distribution, in the nancing and custodian ser- Ukraine to acquire sized bank based in Lviv and food sector and in construc- vices to institutional inves- focused on Western Ukraine tion & real estate. tors. shares representing and Kiev operating a net- Universal Bank employs a Eurobank EFG considers that 99.34% of the bank’ Page 2 variety of distribution chan- Ukraine, with a population of s share capital” nels and offers a wide range ca. 47 million, will experience of retail banking and com- high rates of economic Volume 2, issue 7 Eurobank EFG to acquire Universal Bank in Ukraine (cont.) growth in the medium-term. tionwide coverage, building a Europe. Furthermore, this The very low penetration leading bank in the Ukrain- transaction is in line with rates of banking products ian market. Eurobank EFG’s practice of “This transaction is and especially of household The acquisition of Uni- entering new countries with in line with lending point to a very sig- versal Bank in Ukraine selective investments, aiming Eurobank EFG’s nificant growth potential for follows the roll out of a to create shareholder value practice of entering the country’s banking system, branch network in Po- through organic growth which is already experienc- land and the acquisition achieved via offering supe- new countries with ing one of the fastest growth of Tekfenbank in Turkey rior quality of service. selective rates in Eastern Europe. earlier this year and is con- Closing of the transaction, is investments, aiming Eurobank EFG believes that sistent with the announced subject to regulatory approv- to create the acquisition of Universal strategy of Eurobank EFG als in Ukraine, Greece and Bank allows it to enter this group to expand its activities Switzerland, and is expected shareholder value” attractive market and ex- in the most important mar- to occur in the fourth quarter pand to achieve strong na- kets of Southern and Eastern of 2006.” Postbank Improves the Terms on the Fast Consumer Loans The Consumer Loan Repayment Period Is Extended from 5 to 10 Years 19 July, 2006 - [Press Re- 10.5% for the first year.