Assets of commercial banks in Bosnia & Herzegovina increased by 9.3% y/y in September, slightly improving from the 9.1% y/y growth in August, reaching BAM27.6bn (€14.1bn), central bank (CBBH) data showed on November 7. The assets in September equalled 86.4% of Bosnia’s projected GDP, according to bne IntelliNews calculations.
Bosnia has pledged to improve the stability of its banking sector in order to sign a new deal with the International Monetary Fund. The reforms it has agreed to undertake should improve banking supervision through better coordination and cooperation with the regulatory agencies.
The growth of Bosnia’s bank assets was due mainly to the increase in loans, which accounted for 65.6% of total bank assets in September. Loans accelerated by 6.4% y/y to BAM18.12bn, after rising by 6.3% y/y in August.
Household loans increased at the same pace of 6.8% y/y in September as they did in August, reaching BAM8.52bn. Corporate loans moved up by 7.9% y/y to BAM8.53bn in September after rising 7.6% y/y in August.