Ambassador Kirby visits Opportunity Bank in Subotica

Ambassador Kirby visits Opportunity Bank in Subotica
Ambassador Kirby meets with Opportunity Bank's management team in Subotica
Opportunity Bank Serbia

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Subotica – The U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Michael D. Kirby, visited Opportunity Bank’s Subotica branch office today.  During his visit, the Ambassador met with the bank’s management team and some of its clients.

They informed him about the Bank’s results in providing micro, rural, agro, and small- and medium enterprise (SME) lending to clients who cannot ordinarily access financial services from traditional banks. They also demonstrated Opportunity Bank’s new tablet-based loan processing technology, which significantly speeds up the loan approval process for agricultural clients in remote areas.

“The bank’s goal is to provide the financial means to small businesses and agricultural plots to expand their business, finance daily operations, or start new business ventures,” said Vladimir Vukotić, Chairman of the Executive Board of Opportunity Bank. “OBS is the only bank in Serbia that approves start-up loans.”

The Ambassador also visited the Ženski Štrand café at Lake Palić, a local tourist attraction owned by a long-term client of Opportunity Bank.  The proprietor informed the Ambassador about the challenges Serbian entrepreneurs face and how Opportunity Bank has helped her overcome obstacles.

Opportunity Bank Serbia (OBS) was established in 2012 with financial support from the Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID).