BACKGROUND:

Opportunity Bank Serbia (OBS) is a community bank that provides micro, rural, agro and small and medium-enterprise (SME) lending to clients that cannot ordinarily access financial services from traditional banks.  Clients are typically from semi-urban and rural areas of Serbia.  The bank specializes in loans to dual-income cottage industries and the agricultural sector.

OBS’s mission is to help create jobs, stimulate small businesses and enable the economic transformation of its clients.  With a strategically developed branch network, OBS utilizes field-based client advisors (loan officers) to reach clients in remote areas. 

USAID has provided financial support totaling $11.96 million to Opportunity International to create a sustainable financial institution in Serbia.

PRODUCTS:

• Micro and Small Agricultural Loans

Investments in fixed assets and working capital;

• Mix of Micro Personal and Agro Loans in rural areas

Multi-purpose life-cycle loans, Home Improvement Loans;

• Small Business Entrepreneurial Loans

Overcoming problems with liquidity, investments in fixed assets and working capital;

• Complementary business and agro products

Payments transactions, letters of guarantees, overdraft protection;

• Savings

Sight and term deposits for individuals, businesses and farmers.

RESULTS:

• As of March 31, 2015, OBS disbursed more than 83,000 loans totaling almost €284 million;
• The majority of OBS's credit portfolio consists of micro-loans valued at up to €5,000 each, mostly disbursed to individual entrepreneurs and registered agricultural households;
• Over 50% of OBS’s credit clients live in Central and South Serbia, unlike most other banks in Serbia, which concentrate in Belgrade and larger cities; 
•  As of March 31, 2015, OBS had a loan portfolio of €66.6 million (almost 29,000 loan clients) and over €54 million in deposits. OBS has over 15,000 savings clients;
• From its foundation until March 31, 2015, OBS loans helped create over 23,000 new jobs and sustain more than 100,000 existing jobs. 

Shareholders:

Opportunity Transformation Investments Inc. 

Where we work:

Headquartered in Novi Sad, with eight branch offices and 14 credit offices throughout Serbia.

Date of foundation:

July 2002 as Savings and Loan Financial Institution; banking license granted by the National Bank of Serbia in May 2007.

Total amount: 

$9,966,025

Contact:

Opportunity Bank Serbia

Bulevar oslobodjenja 2a

Novi Sad 21000 Serbia

Phone: +381-21 4893-111

Fax:     +381-21 4893-123

E-mail:  office@obs.rs

Website: www.obs.rs