Unclear Data on the Number of Clients of Nova Hrvatska Banka

From Nova Hrvatska Banka, the former Sberbank which was taken over by Hrvatska Poštanska Banka during the rehabilitation process, they confirmed to Lider that they have since experienced a decline in the number of clients.

– During the rehabilitation period, the Bank has understandably recorded a certain decline in the number of clients, citizens by 3.3 percent, and overall across all segments by 4.1 percent – say from Nova Hrvatska Banka. The rehabilitation process lasted from March 1 when Hrvatska Poštanska Banka took over the Croatian branch of Sberbank until April 13, 2022.

Banks report the number of their clients to the Croatian Deposit Insurance Agency (HAOD). According to information from regular reporting to HAOD, before the rehabilitation, specifically on January 31, 2022, Sberbank had 69,952 clients. Of these, 3,736 were legal entities – non-financial companies, non-profit organizations, state institutions, and financial companies. A decline of four percent therefore means that they have lost just over 2,800 clients since then.

HAOD’s data indicating that on April 30, 2022 (three months later), Nova Hrvatska Banka had 66,138 clients indicates a decrease of 3,800 clients.

From Nova Hrvatska Banka, they state that by early April, they had also recorded an increase in the number of new clients. – At the beginning of April 2022, Nova Hrvatska Banka has 78,000 citizen clients and 5,000 legal entities, and we are extremely pleased to note a trend of growth in the number of new clients, as well as those returning to us after the rehabilitation period – they convey from the bank, adding that this data can also be found in the Investor Information on the Zagreb Stock Exchange.

This would thus represent an increase of just over 13,000 clients since the end of January, and the information from HAOD and Nova Hrvatska Banka regarding the current number of clients differs by as much as 16,862 clients. Regarding this discrepancy in the number of clients with the data from HAOD, Nova Hrvatska Banka distances itself with the words that ‘they cannot comment on data that is not official Bank data.’

At the Croatian National Bank, they say that they do not have this data and therefore cannot comment on it.

Does HAOD have incorrect data, or does Nova Hrvatska Banka indeed have a small decline in the number of clients alongside a huge increase in the number of new clients? Both scenarios are possible. However, two banks have confirmed to us that a certain number of clients did indeed transfer to other Croatian banks in the period following the rehabilitation of Sberbank at the beginning of March this year.

Client Transfers to Other Banks

– We are unable to speak about the specific number of new clients who were previously clients of Sberbank, but we can confirm that there have been transfers of clients, both physical and legal entities. Individuals are transferring their entire transactional business, mainly regular income, card transactions, and deposits, and it is similar with legal entities – state Kent Bank.

The main motivation for people’s transfers, they say from Kent Bank, is continuity, security, and stability of operations, as well as ‘constant availability of funds, as loans are, for now, mostly not transferred.’

– Clients had partly already been considering changing banks, so the current events were just an additional incentive for them to realize such a decision – say from Kent Bank, adding that clients who choose them primarily now seek a personal approach and the service of a personal banker.

An increased number of clients during the rehabilitation period of Sberbank was also noticed at Erste Bank.

– During the mentioned period, we noticed an increased interest from clients, both private and business, in opening accounts, or starting or intensifying business relationships with the bank, especially concerning companies – they report from Erste Bank.

However, they note that they do not have records of how many clients opened an account at their bank exclusively after leaving Sberbank.

– In such situations, we act according to usual practice, in accordance with standard procedures and conditions, and we did not introduce any special offers or benefits – they say at Erste.

By the conclusion of this article, we did not receive responses from Zagrebačka Banka, Raiffeisen Bank, Addiko Bank, and Privredna Banka Zagreb regarding client transfers from Sberbank to their bank.