BRD Groupe Societe Generale and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, have closed a landmark synthetic significant risk transfer (SRT) transaction that will free up capital for BRD to boost the financing of impactful sustainability-related projects in Romania. Under the transaction, IFC will provide a risk guarantee on an up to €700 million BRD portfolio of small and medium enterprise (SME) and corporate loans. Capital freed up by the SRT will enable the bank to lend up to €315 million to fund climate-related initiatives and women-owned smaller businesses. SRTs are a widely used capital management tool for banks. IFC has played a key role in their introduction in emerging markets, including Central and Eastern Europe. Capital resources freed up by such transactions can be reallocated toward financing projects with strong developmental impact. “BRD is committed to building a sustainable economy in Romania and environmental, social and governance commitments are at the heart of our strategy. We have demonstrated this in recent years by delivering growing momentum in positive impact finance. We are delighted to partner with IFC on this new agreement, which will enable us to accelerate our expansion in this important area,” said Maria Rousseva, Chief Executive Officer of BRD Groupe Societe Generale. This transaction is part of the agreement signed in early 2024 between Societe Generale group and IFC to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions to accelerate their support for sustainable finance projects. While Societe Generale group is already a user of SRTs redeploying capital to sustainability-related lending, this is a first time that BRD resorts to such an instrument. Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director, said: “This transaction marks an important milestone in our longstanding partnership with Societe Generale, showcasing our shared commitment to developing innovative financing solutions. With this SRT—a first for both IFC and BRD in Romania—we are investing in the country’s future to accelerate sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” The SRT is one of two key IFC deals aimed at catalyzing Romania’s green transition, boosting financial inclusion, and driving sustainable growth, announced during Diop’s first visit to the country this week. BRD has a successful track record in sustainable finance, including investing more than €800 million in sustainable financing over the last three years, and organizing two climate change summits in Romania.
Representatives of the ruling Social Democratic Party, PSD, gathered for a congress in Bucharest on Friday, November 7, to elect new leadership and to amend the party’s Statute. The only candidate for party leader is Sorin Grindeanu, who held the interim position after Marcel Ciolacu's resignation in May. In his speech at the congress, Sorin […]
The e-commerce sector recorded strong early results on Black Friday 2025, according to real-time data released on Friday, November 7, by PayU GPO Romania from its dedicated Media Center. By 14:10, the payment processor reported successful transactions totaling RON 514 million (roughly EUR 101 million). PayU said shoppers had made roughly 889,000 purchases, with around […]
Contakt Express Logistik, one of Romania’s leading retailers of mobile phone and tablet accessories, with a network of over 235 stores, is set to launch the initial public offering (IPO) between November 12 and December 3, 2025. The company offers a wide range of products, including cases, screen protectors, chargers, and gadgets, both in physical […]
Romania attracts fewer international tourists today than it did during the communist era, making it the only country in Europe in this situation, the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) warned, as reported by news agency Agerpres. According to the organization, Romania received more than 3.4...
InterCapital ETF, the first international ETF provider in Romania, will launch two new exchange-traded funds on the Bucharest Stock Exchange starting November 11, 2025. The new instruments are the InterCapital CROBEX10 TR UCITS ETF, which offers exposure to the Croatian blue-chip equity market by tracking the performance of the CROBEX10tr index, and the InterCapital EUR […]
The Competition Councils of Romania, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Moldova have granted the necessary authorizations and approvals for the completion of the transaction through which Maspex Romania takes over the majority shareholding of Purcari Wineries. The Maspex Group, which has been present in Romania for nearly 30 years, became the majority shareholder of one […]
