“The group does not plan to develop retail banking in Lithuania. Our owners focus on retail banking in France, and the secondary market in this respect is Russia. Certain steps are also being taken in Italy. But definitely not in Lithuania,” General Financing CEO, Konstantinas Balakinas, told the daily.
He confirmed that Société Générale was currently looking for a buyer for General Financing.
“We are determined to fill the room, which opened up on the market after the collapse of Snoras and Ūkio Bankas. It’s a favorable time for that, in particular as far as the consumer leasing is concerned since the number of competitors will diminish after the merger of Ūkio Banko Lizingas (Ūkio Bankas Leasing) and Šiaulių Banko Lizingas (Šiaulių Bankas Leasing),” Rolandas Norvilas, the CEO of the branch, told the daily.
The company had already been active on the retail banking market in a certain sense, he said adding that it was providing consumer loans and crediting small-scale businesses. However, the branch did not accept deposits although was licensed to do that, Norvilas said.
