KRUK reports 15% growth in the value of portfolios held in Romania at the end of 2023, to EUR 335 million

  KRUK Group, the largest debt management company in Central and Eastern Europe with operations in seven countries, reported for 2023 portfolios with a total value of approximately EUR 335 million, up 15% from 2022. KRUK's customers paid debts amounting to almost EUR 150 million in 2023, 7% more than the previous year. KRUK SA is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and currently has a market capitalization of almost two billion euros.   The company's data show that the non-performing loan portfolios on the balance sheets of banks in Romania represent about EUR 3.3 billion, maintaining the downward trend in the past six years.   In Romania, unsecured retail and corporate debt portfolios worth EUR 1.6 billion were sold in 2023, according to company estimates. The nominal value of the portfolios under KRUK Romania's management during 2023 amounted to almost EUR 78 million, which represents 11% of the Group's total investments, while the debts paid by KRUK's clients in Romania account for 21% of the total amount at Group level. The company's market share in terms of investments in unsecured debt portfolios in Romania is estimated at 63%.   "The company's performance has been significantly enhanced by digital transformation. Our main concern has been to move the customer online, so that they have the freedom to manage their own debts and control the payments they make. In parallel, we automated business processes to increase operational efficiency, which gave us a significant competitive advantage. For over two million customers, KRUK is today a digital debt management tool. In total, we invested around EUR 400,000 in digitalization last year and we aim to increase the amount by more than 40% in 2024", said Cosmina Marinescu, KRUK Romania CEO.   The company's investments in digital payment tools have ensured an increase in the volume of full voluntary payments and, thus, in the level of responsibility Romanians assume in terms of debt payments. In 2023, KRUK customers made 66% more online payments than the previous year, and the value of payments increased by approximately 70%. The number of new eKRUK accounts registered in 2023 was up almost 60% compared to 2022 and 75% more payment commitments were signed on the company's platform.   Over the following two years, the company aims to increase investments in digital and financial inclusion through training and social responsibility projects. *** KRUK Romania has been present on the debt management market since 2007 and is the industry leader in financial responsibility, with offices in Bucharest and Targoviste and over 600 employees. The KRUK Group is the largest debt management company in Central and Eastern Europe with operations in Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Italy and Spain.