Raiffeisen Leasing starts operations in the Republic of Moldova

• The company in Chisinau, belongs to the Austrian banking group Raiffeisen International and provides financial leasing solutions for machinery, equipment, trucks and commercial vehicles, as well as for passenger cars

Raiffeisen-Leasing International (RLI) has commenced operations in the Republic of Moldova through the company in Chisinau - Î.C.S. Raiffeisen Leasing SRL. The sole shareholder is Raiffeisen Leasing IFN SA (Romania).

The initial share capital of Î.C.S. Raiffeisen Leasing SRL is 500,000 EURO.

"The presence of one of the European leaders in leasing on the Moldavian market demonstrates the maturity of this sector in the Republic of Moldova as well as the continuous growth of the leasing market, representing a special interest for investors. Raiffeisen Leasing International comes to the Moldovian market with new technologies and new leasing products, tested and improved during the last years on European markets. The main indicator of the quality of the leasing products offered by Raiffeisen Leasing International is the increased interest of our partners which is the basis of our growth", declared Michael Hackl, Managing Director Raiffeisen-Leasing International.

Mihaela Mateescu, Managing Director Raiffeisen Leasing IFN SA, added that "for the last 5 years of being present in Romania, Raiffeisen Leasing has acted as a strong partner for its clients as well as for its suppliers. In the Republic of Moldova, Raiffeisen Leasing will also bring high quality services. We will provide our customers with excellency in services."

"We will focus on leasing solutions for businesses, financing the acquisition of machinery, equipment, trucks, commercial vehicles and passenger cars and we will also provide smart and tailor-made solutions for business development" pointed out Victor Bodiu, Managing Director, Î.C.S. Raiffeisen Leasing S.R.L.

Raiffeisen International"s leasing units in Central and Eastern Europe are steered by the sub-group"s holding company Raiffeisen-Leasing International (RLI), which is 75 per cent owned by Raiffeisen International and 25 per cent owned by Raiffeisen-Leasing GmbH., Vienna.

The finance leasing subsidiaries in Albania and the Ukraine commenced business operations in 2006. As a result, Raiffeisen has 16 consolidated leasing subsidiaries in 15 countries.

Nearly 1,200 people have been working for the Raiffeisen- Leasing International Group at year-end 2006. New business developed dynamically during the year, increasing by more than 44% to euro 1.950 million.

Raiffeisen-Leasing International"s balance-sheet total grew by 40% to euro 3,070 million during 2006.

Consequently Raiffeisen-Leasing International Group is one of the leading leasing providers in CEE and face a market with more than 320 million people.

Raiffeisen International operates one of the largest banking networks in CEE. 18 markets of Europe"s growth region are covered by subsidiary banks, finance leasing companies, two representative offices and a number of other financial service providers. Over 13 million customers are attended to through more than 3,000 business outlets. Raiffeisen International is a fully consolidated subsidiary of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG (RZB), which owns 68.5 per cent of the common stock. The balance is free float, the shares are traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange. RZB is a leading corporate and investment bank in Austria and the central institution of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group, the country"s largest banking group.