Georgia, Tbilisi, March 27 / Trend N. Kirtzkhalia /
Georgian commercial banks have slightly increased their lending. Credit investments including loans to non-residents increased by 0.03 per cent or 2.7 million lari ($1=1.66 lari) in February 2013 compared to the previous month and as of March 1 totalled 8.7 billion lari.
Loans in the local currency during the same period increased by 5.1 million lari, or 0.2 per cent, in foreign currency by 2.4 million lari, or 0.04 per cent, the Georgian National Bank said on Monday.
Also loans worth 831.1 million lari (by 1.1 per cent or 9.1 million less compared to February 2012) and in foreign currency - 3.8 billion lari (by 0.5 per cent or 20 million less) were given to legal entities and residents in the national currency.
The largest share being 47.2 per cent fell to trade in the total volume of corporate lending. Loans in this sector were given at 1.2 per cent or 27.6 million lari more in February compared to January.
The share of loans for the industry in a total lending volume was 20.8 per cent - 972.6 million lari (by one per cent or 9.8 million less than in January) of which 8.9 per cent fell to construction - 415.7 million lari (1.1 per cent, or 4.8 million less).
This means around 76.9 per cent of total corporate lending volume fell to three sectors - industry, construction and trade.
Lending to physical entities-residents increased by one per cent or 35.3 million lari in February 2013 and totalled 3.7 billion lari.