ArmInfo. Contrary to the slowdown in the growth of lending, the banks of Armenia are making quite a high profit. According to the Express-Ranking of Armenian Banks, prepared by the Rating service of the IArmInfo Information Company , the growth rate of crediting in 2016-2017 from 16.5% slowed to 4.3%, however, the aggregate net profit of the banking system from negative dynamics in 26.4% in 2016 went to the positive 15.6%. It is noteworthy that the investments of banks in securities increased in 2017 more significantly - by 22.3%, rather than lending volumes, and at the same time, the balances on nostro accounts (including in the Central Bank) increased significantly.

ArmInfo. The portfolio of the  state program for subsidizing rates on agro-loans for harvesting  agricultural raw materials amounted to 18 billion AMD. ArmInfo was  informed about this by the press service of the RA Ministry of  Agriculture, explaining that the maximum amount of the loan within  the framework of this program is set at 1 billion AMD.

ArmInfo. Starting from January 16, 2018 the nominal coupon bonds (HEZBB3) with total nominal value of USD 2,000,000 issued by "ARMENIAN ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT BANK" OJSC will be listed on the secondary Bbond list of NASDAQ OMX Armenia, while another issue of the Company's bonds (HEZBB2) with total nominal valu of AMD 100,000,000 will be admitted to trading on Cbond free market.

ArmInfo. Simple nominal stocks  of ARARATBANK additional issuance in the volume of 2.416 bln AMD on  December 5 of 2017 passed listing in NasdaqOMX Armenia stock exchange  with inclusion in the quotation list "C", and are allowed to conclude  targeted trade and repo deals.

ArmInfo. In Armenia, the  annual growth of non-cash transactions on plastic cards amounted to  25% in Jan-Sep 2017, slightly less than the dynamics of a year ago -  27%. According to the report of the Central Bank of Armenia, the  volume of non-cash card transactions for the reporting period  amounted to 189.7 billion AMD. In the third quarter of 2017 alone,  the volume of non-cash plastic operations changed from an upward 27%  to a downward trend of 10.1%, against an acceleration of growth from  21.5% to 40.7% in the third quarter of 2016.

ArmInfo. The banking system  of Armenia in January- September 2017 sent 31.7 billion drams to the  state treasury, which is 13.6% higher than the figure of a year ago.  Of this amount, over 89.3% or 28.3 billion drams was paid for direct  taxes (including income tax and income tax), with an annual growth of  12.8%. According to the RA State Revenue Committee, in the first  hundred of the largest taxpayers of Armenia in the first 9 months of  2017, out of 17 operating banks, 12 (12 out of 19 of those operating  in the same period in 2016) fell. Among them in the top five banks of  taxpayers - Ardshinbank, ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank, VTB Bank  (Armenia), Ameriabank and Armbusinessbank, which figured in the top  five and a year earlier. Over the first 9 months of 2017, the top  five banks sent 16.5 billion drams to the state treasury (annual  growth of 18.7%), of which 15.1 billion drams - on direct taxes  (annual growth of 18.9%).

ArmInfo. Commercial banks of  Armenia have already accumulated $ 180 million to implement projects  in the field of renewable energy, but they are not fully used. On  November 8, the national expert of the EU4Energy project of the  Energy Charter Astghine Pasoyan told the ArmInfo news agency on the  margins of the forum that opened in Yerevan on the potential of  Armenia in the energy sector. The forum is organized by the Ministry  of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of  Armenia, the delegation of the European Union in Armenia and the  Energy Charter.

ArmInfo. Ardshinbank became a participant in the securities registration system of the Central Depository of Armenia (CDA) with the status of the operator of the depository system account. About it ArmInfo was informed in the press service of the stock exchange NasDaq OMX Armenia.  From now on, the clients of the bank will be able to access the services of the CDA, in particular the maintenance of the register of joint-stock companies and all services related to the storage of securities.  Thus, Ardshinbank became the 17th operator of the Depository System.

ArmInfo. The RA Ministry of  Agriculture as of September 19 received 16 applications for 1.606  billion AMD for participation in the state program of subsidizing  loans to processing enterprises for agricultural production.

ArmInfo. In Armenia, annual  growth of non-cash transactions on plastic cards accelerated in the  first half of 2017 from 11.7% to 47.2%. According to the report of  the Central Bank of Armenia, the volume of non-cash card transactions  for the reporting period amounted to 126.2 billion drams. In the  second quarter of 2017 alone, the volume of non-cash plastic  operations changed from a downward trend of 16.6% to an upward trend  of 26.9%, versus an exit from the 15.3% decline in the 21.5% growth  in the second quarter of 2016.

ArmInfo. The Armenian government in its new and already approved program of own activities for upcoming  5-year term,  based on indicative results of 2018 recorded a two-fold increase in insured transactions of  "Export Insurance Agency of Armenia" ICJSC- almost up to 4.5 billion AMD. At the same time, as of August 31, 2017, the insurance portfolio of the Agency already amounted AMD  2.594 . Armen Shahnazaryan,  the Executive Director of the EIAA ICJSC, spoke in an exclusive interview about the Agency's achievements and tasks, plans and reality.

ArmInfo. The replenishment of  Armenian banks' capital base by 15% per annum on July 1, 2017, or by  85.1 billion drams ($ 177.1 million) made it possible to accelerate  the credit growth rate to 16.6% from last year's 9.5%. Activation of  banks in the credit market, in turn, increased net profit in the  first half of 2017 by 49.5% per annum - up to 19.2 billion drams ($  39.9 million).

ArmInfo. In the aggregate loan  portfolio of Armenian banks, the NPL share decreased by July 1, 2017  year on year from 13.2% to 9.8%, reaching 269 billion AMD in absolute  terms. However, five banks, nevertheless, overshoot this indicator  for the maximum limit of the critical limit - 22-33% against the  internationally acceptable 10-15%.

ArmInfo. As of August 30 this  year, readiness to participate in the program expressed by 10 banks and 2  universal credit companies. These are ACBA Credit-Agricole Bank,  Ameriabank, ARARATBANK, Ardshinbank, Armswissbank, Converse Bank,  INECOBANK, Armbusinessbank, Armeconombank, Prometey Bank, as well as  UCC and .  

ArmInfo.In the first half of  the year, the banking system of Armenia sent 21.9 billion AMD to the  state treasury, which is 12.9% higher than the figure of a year ago.  Of this amount, over 89% or 19.6 billion was paid on direct taxes  (including income tax and income tax), with an annual growth of  12.6%.

ArmInfo. Banks of Armenia having significantly increased the buffer of capital over the past year, sharply intensified lending. According to the Express-Ranking of Armenian Banks as of July 1, 2017, prepared by the Analytical Service of the Information                 Company ArmInfo, the annual growth rates of crediting accelerated from last year's 12% to the current 20% to 2.6 trillion drams.  This increased assets more significantly - by 25.3% - to 4.2 trillion drams, compared to the year before (9.1%).

ArmInfo. State services in Armenia will be available also through "Araratbank". The corresponding draft decision was approved at a meeting of the Armenian government on June 23.

ArmInfo. The customer base of Armenia's banking system totaled 2,343,225 individuals and 77,956 legal entities by April 2017. According to the Central Bank's data provided by the National Statistical Service of Armenia, a total of 2,421,181 customers had 4,355,612 accounts with Armenian banks, of which 4,196,171 were physical accounts and 159,441 were accounts of legal entities.

ArmInfo. The Armenian banking system sent 10.1 billion AMD to the state budget in the first quarter of 2017 (or 9.8 billion without taking into account the combined Areximbank and the Armenian Development Bank), which is 8.6% higher than the figure of a year ago. Of this amount, over 88% or 8.9 billion AMD was paid on direct taxes (including income tax and income tax), with an annual growth of 8.5%.

ArmInfo. Armenian banks customer base at the end of 2016 counted 2 413 943 physical and 79 609 judicial persons. According to Armenian National Statistic Service data, all together 2 493 558 customers had 4 553 107 amounts in Armenian banks, 4 368 596 from which amounts of physical and 184 511 judicial person?s amounts.